


If I could count the ways...

by old_shizuumi151 (shizuumi151)



Series: True Love's High Fives [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Ahha, Fluff, Handcuffs, Kissing, M/M, Massage, Mentions of alcohol, Rating May Change, Swearing, and reigisa now, because each chapter can be a completely different rating and stuff, blushing losers, cliché made it in time before the train left confession :'), confusing feelings, cus rinrin gets drunk off his lil swimmer butt, huzzah, liberal tagging, not in a sexual way for once, not rated anymore, one-sided mention of seigou XP, unless you can take an average rating or something, weeeeee, yee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-20
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-18 11:49:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1427401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shizuumi151/pseuds/old_shizuumi151
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which each chapter is another take on how our two favourite dorks could end up together with whatever rating the situation calls for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Handcuffs

**Author's Note:**

> I RISE FROM DEATH AND PAST PAPERS :'D
> 
> Okay, let's lay down some basis for this ensuing crapfest of gay boys here:
> 
> I'm a loser :B
I adore RinHaru like nothing else c:
I like to imagine ways them do the fluff <3 _and_ the frackle B) (see point 1)
I try to channel my loserness in entertaining and unproductive ways :] (again, see point 1)

> 
> So those are the reasons, and as for this fic itself, it'll be like each chapter is an alternate universe so that means _neverending ways_ of mutually-gay swimmers turning into boyfriend swimmers :D Hopefully :'D
> 
> EDIT: I posted up '[Countless and Sweet'](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1686713), which is gonna featured established swimming boyfies instead of the lead-up :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Haru are cuffed together, and they manage to scramble for the phone and call Nagisa, who's bent on trying to hook them up. _Literally_. (Rated G)

"NAGISA!!"

The sheer buoyancy of Nagisa’s cackling seeping out of the speaker had to be unreal as Rin’s voice exploded into the phone. Haru  _would_  have told him to quiet down, or at least shut his own ears, if he wasn’t handcuffed and just as annoyed. His wrist started to hurt from being pulled about from Rin flailing his arms angrily at the phone, as if Nagisa would be able to see his seething anger.

"Rin, stop swinging your arm." Haru reminded tersely.

"Yeah, sorry—I SWEAR TO GOD NAGISA, IF YOU DON’T UNCUFF US I WILL  _CASTRATE_  YOU!”

"Don’t you need two hands for that, though~?" Nagisa wondered with an innocence that made something in Rin  _snap_ , which made Haru wisely wrench the phone out of his grip.

"Nagisa," Haru started calmly, but held a palpable undertone of  _pull anything funny and I will find you_. “What will it take for you to uncuff us?” _  
_

"Glad you asked, Haru-chan!" Nagisa responded, sunny as ever, "Just go on a date!"

Even Haru had to repress his brow twitching at that.

"Nagisa," Haru started again, his tone pressing a bit harder, "Is there anything _else_  we could do for you to uncuff us?” He waited while Nagisa pondered audibly, glancing over at Rin who had stopped muttering curses under his breath to look at him.

"What does he want?" Rin asked, which made Haru dimly think of those movies where the family had to deal with ransom and insanely jovial kidnappers.

"He wants us to…" Haru knitted his brows, willing the rising heat in his cheeks to dissipate in front of his rival, "Go on a date."

He turned his gaze away from Rin’s face bursting in a full flush and becoming a spluttering mess, exhaling to focus on compromising with Nagisa.

"Hmm…!" Nagisa hummed thoughtfully, testing Haru’s patience, "Actually, I hid the key somewhere in Haru-chan’s house when we stayed over last," he said casually, sharpening Haru’s focus for the literal key out of this mess, "…Yosh! I’ve decided!"

"What is it?" Haru asked, a hint of desperation leaking into his voice, ignoring how his wrist was pulled by warming metal from Rin clawing at his own hair and covering his blush.

"If you kiss, I’ll tell you where the key is!" Nagisa announced, "If you don’t, I’ll free you guys tomorrow anyway!"

"… _Nagisa_.” Haru’s jaw turned into stone while Nagisa giggled, obviously proud of his decision.

"You can try finding it, but I hid it  _really_  well~!”

Haru imagined spending the entire day dragging along and being dragged along by Rin. He didn’t even want to begin thinking about how they’d negotiate going to the bathroom or the logistics of making food without hurting themselves. He paused for a long moment, then yielded with a sigh before turning to face him.

"Rin," his tone was firm while watching Rin look up at him, his expression of defeat twisting something inside of Haru. "…We have to—"

"We could," Rin blurted out, causing Haru to stop, "Go on…that date…" he suggested, his voice trailing before rising defiantly again, " _J-Just_  to remove the stupid handcuffs, right?”

His eyes turned nearly circular at Rin jerking his head to the side, his face stained with red and his lips twisted into an awkward grimace, and Haru couldn’t name the jumping sensation in his gut at the sight.

"…Actually," Haru spoke up, breaking the drawing silence, "…We just have to kiss…" he frowned at feeling his cheeks sting with embarrassment, never thinking he would have to say that out loud. He snatched his head up at a pithy scoff, his jaw beginning to hang loose at Rin’s confusing smile.

“ _Just_  have to kiss, you say,” Rin repeated, nearly snorting as he shook his head, “…Right. There’s nothing to it,” he sighed, more to himself than the bewildered boy watching him come closer with wide, blue eyes. “…Hey, not that I…really wanna do it like this…” Rin reminded, his efforts rendered futile by his own blaring cheeks. Yet Haru couldn’t help but fixate on the words ‘like this’, suggesting that he didn’t mind the act himself, but couldn’t dwell on it too long as he continued. “But, hey, I don’t think you wanna be stuck with me the whole day. Not that I would for you either,” he shrugged, his following smirk masking the real depth of his meaning. “Besides, I don’t think I wanna deal with having to go to the bathroom like this.” he pulled up their wrists with the clink of their chain, and Haru afforded a small smile at that.

"Yeah…" he agreed softly, before he pried his focus away from their handcuffs and really looked at Rin. At his warm red eyes a little hidden by his darker strands of hair, and his light complexion dark with blood rushing behind his cheeks, a jolt of nerves gripped his throat that made him swallow. And he was brought back to reality again by Rin’s low chuckling.

"You gonna chicken out of a challenge, Nanase?" he teased, and his coy grin made the fire brewing in Haru a little more familiar than before.

His only response was a grunt as his free hand went up to hold Rin’s nape, and he shut his eyes before he leaned in, before he only heard a surprised gasp as he dove his head in, having already bothered to remember where his lips were and—

"Haruka-senpai, the key is in the farthest corner of your closet drawer underneath your shirts."

They both froze, the only sound was from the phone Haru had put down and the tinkling of their handcuff chain. Their eyes opened wide to the sight of each other barely centimetres away, drinking in the sight of being so close before…

"…Eh?" Rin muttered dumbly, as Haru turned to pick up the phone again.

"R-Rei," Haru managed to keep his voice respectably level as he addressed him, trying not to reel from being pulled out of the moment so suddenly, "You—"

"I’m sorry I couldn’t assist you sooner," he said kindly, and Haru could swear he could hear Nagisa in the background fervently apologising ‘for the mean trick’. "I know Nagisa-kun overstepped his bounds this time in interfering your relationship—for lack of a better word," he supplied, interrupting Haru about to correct him, "With Rin-san. I hope you can find it to forgive Nagisa for his meddling after you resolve your issue."

"…Thanks, Rei."

"There is no need to thank me." he insisted politely, before the line clicked with him hanging up.

Eventually, after avoided gazes and shuffling around, they managed to find the key and free themselves quite easily. To their irony, the key was under the Loosey-kun t-shirt that Rin had worn at their sleepover, but the intensity of the moment that kept replaying in their minds stopped any quip they were planning to make.

They were about to  _kiss_ , and they weren’t even in a relationship. Neither of them were even remotely prepared to broach the feelings that lingered behind their brashness, so now they were just rubbing their wrists languidly. The handcuffs were forgotten on the floor as their glances flickered between their hands and each other as another daunting silence consumed the room.

Haru pursed his lip, at odds with himself. Rin…was a close friend. Definitely. But, he had never thought…that they would ever do something like this. Something even close. But…the flash of panic that had bolted through him when he found himself chained to Rin, the idea of being so close for who knew how long, it made him uneasy. Like he wouldn’t be able to remain aloof for so long to keep in his secret from Rin, because he couldn’t say  _no_  to that lazy, sharp-toothed grin and the twinkle of those eyes which were so  _close_  before and—

"Yo, Haru."

He nearly flinched at the sound of his name, praying his thoughts would be hidden by his faithful, passive expression like all those times before. He looked up to Rin all the same, his eyes drawn to the speckle of pink at his cheek.

"What is it?"

"…You still up for that date?"

Haru could have stumbled if he wasn’t rooted to the spot at those words, and he could nearly be fooled by his offhanded tone if Rin wasn’t staring at him dead in the eye at the question. But his brain kickstarted again at the hint of another grimace playing at Rin’s lips, and he nodded slowly, but surely. Rin’s face softened in no small shock, eyes wide and lips parted that drew the breath out of Haru, before his jaw clamp shut and his face bloomed into another blush that couldn’t have been healthy.

"A-Alright!" Rin said loudly, as if telling Haru not to rush him. "Th-Then we gotta go someplace nice! I’m not having some mackerel at your place and calling it a date!" he announced, and Haru had to suppress a laugh at Rin tripping over his words, "Th-There’s this amusement park that sounded okay, a-and if you wanna go there I wouldn’t mind—"

"Rin…"

"—I mean, not that I  _wanted_  to go to some amusement park with you, or was gonna…ask you to come with me… _yeah_ , not that I wanted to do that—”

"Rin." Haru nearly chuckled.

"Wh- _What?_ " he asked desperately while facing the bedroom door at his side, oblivious to Haru taking a step closer, "I  _said_  I wasn’t gonna do that—”

Rin’s words died in a breath as he came up to him, gently quieting him down with an innocent, soft kiss to his cheek. He had to blink before he yanked his head to Haru’s eyes glistening in a kind smile, frantically searching over whether he had actually done that.

"I’d like to go to the amusement park with you." he reassured, reaching for Rin’s hand and clasping it. It took all of Rin’s fleeting mental capacity to lower his head down to see that, yes, Haru  _was_  holding his hand and, yes, he  _had_  agreed to go out with him, even after all of the handcuff crap. He bit his lip in another hot flush, but this time out of a sweeping relief mixed in with his overwhelming embarrassment.

"…C-Cool…" he muttered, trying to ignore how Haru laughed again at his failing voice.

He nearly squeaked when Haru hugged him, almost questioning it before he realised how warm and strong his body felt against his own. His eyes slid shut as he wrapped around Haru, settling into the embrace as his heart thudded in his chest.

"…Your heart’s beating really fast." Haru noted, making Rin cringe.

"Crap, is it that obvious?" he winced, pulling away so that he still held Haru by the shoulders.

"…That, or it was mine." Haru shrugged, and Rin elected to ignore how that remark made it beat a little faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This beginning chapter was originally going to be a redo of one of my older drabbles, however I found myself a new, complete drabble that I completed from a handcuff trope from my inbox :) It's unedited, but was fun to write and, as always, a wonderful distraction from my piling revision :'D


	2. Confession 2.0 - Rin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin decides it's time to get it over with and tell Nanase already. It's not like he would say yes anyway. (Rated T for swearing)

Okay, so, after years of beating around the bush in what could be recorded as the longest, most sexually confusing semi-platonic-semi-not foreplay from swimming, Matsuoka Rin finally grew some balls and confessed to Nanase Haruka.

The process leading up to it was probably even more painstaking than their whole rivalry/friendship/relationship that was already riddled with angst. On the one end, there was a reeling mind, sprinting heartbeats (when they were miles away from any pool or race) and seemingly natural beat-offs in the dead of night in his dorm that always seemed to end with his mind's eye set on his childhood friend's _really fucking_ blue eyes and his one-off laugh that made Rin so _pissed_ in the most inexplicable way (because how the _fuck_ could Nanase, coolness-personified, have a laugh like that that made him want to _grab_ his  _stupid_ and probably  _really_ soft hair and _just—!_ ). Said process tapered off with spending about half a year convincing himself that it wasn't a _really gay thing to do_ , jacking off to your same-sex friend and his dumb eyes and his annoying tiny smiles hidden here and there and the way that he swam made Rin's heart fucking _jump_  and what was the word gay exactly?

(Hint: That was Rin.)

And on the other hand, there was a guy who did the most quiet show of flipping his shit when he saw a body of water. Fuck, he could probably come at the sight of it if he didn't go strip and swim like some dolphin incarnate (shit, the guy chokes when _he fucking loses moisture from eating_ ). Otherwise, he had the apparent emotional perception of an empty cup. Just as talkative as well. Not like Rin found it mysterious or anything it was pretty fucking annoying, not a confusingly huge turn-on when he started to speak to him in that calm voice coming out with all that water _dripping_ off his hair and face and over his chest when he slipped out of the pool—what?  _Shut up._

Okay, fine, but _maybe_ if he wasn't so fucking _collected_ and...and _majestic_ when he swam and didn't have those _damned_ eyes and have that _stupid fucking body_ (even though he didn't even train that hard, _fucking unfair_ ), then Rin would _definitely_ have been spared of the pain in his cheeks, chest and crotch every other time they went swimming.

(Hint: That was Haru.)

But in the end, on one afternoon after swim practice and everyone else left for home, which left Haru sort of suspicious but they managed to convince him that it _wasn't_ a conspiratorial ruse to give some wide-eyed, red-haired loser a golden opportunity to work towards getting into his pants.

Because, as the prelude to this fairy tale bursting at the seams with  _romance_  went——

* * *

 "...you're all going to get pyjamas?"

Haru raised a brow at an eagerly nodding Nagisa, a sheepishly smiling Makoto, a weirdly proud Rei all standing at the school gates, and just behind Haru was a incredulous Rin about to claw his own eyes out. Not that they  _planned_ whatever the hell this sorry excuse of a scheme was, but  _goddammit_  if their excuse was just a little bit  _fucking ridiculous_.

" _Not_ just  _any_ pyjamas, mind you," Rei burst in with a dramatic, scoffing adjustment of his glasses, "But the most  _beautiful_ ones that Iwatobi has in stock!"

"M _hmm_ ~!" Nagisa nodded once more with a firm seriousness that made Rin want to  _shoot himself_. "Have you  _felt_ Rei's pyjamas, Haru-chan? They're to  _die_ for! They're comfortable  _and_ super beautiful!"

Rin let his jaw hang loose at Nagisa beaming and Rei looking like he was nearly about to burst into tears of gratitude.

"...I've...never felt Rei's pyjamas, no..." Haru pondered with a frown, and fuck Rin if Haru didn't sound like he was actually _seriously_ considering whether he had ever touched Rei's silk-for-shit,  _for Christ's sake...!_

Okay, that was probably rude, but Rin  **really**  couldn't care at that moment.

"Y-Yeah," Makoto said through a kind, but weak chuckle, "I have to admit, the material felt really comfortable. I might get some for Ren and Ran too."

"You felt Rei's pyjamas, Makoto?"

"Ehh..." Makoto's hands shied away as he tilted back at Haru's interrogative stare, "...y...yes?"

"...why didn't you tell me they would be so comfortable?"

Rin quietly stumbled over to the walls of the gates, starting to lightly bash his head against the stone.

"Well, uh..." Makoto swallowed a moment. Kindest soul, but crap liar. "We...wanted to...get you a dolphin-print pair...as a surprise?"

Rin craned his neck towards him at a painfully slow speed, and he didn't register Makoto shivering at the sight of Rin squinting in unfiltered disbelief and mouthing ' _what the actual fuck_ '

"Ah..." Haru's voice went soft, and all eyes fell on him as the growing silence filled the quiet breeze passing by, "...I see. You know what colour to get me, right?"

"Light or dark blue?" Makoto asked and Rin just  _lost_ it because  _they were actually doing this? This **wasn't** just to mess with him?!_

"Light blue dolphins, dark blue background."

"Ah, got it," Makoto nodded dutifully, "Like cobalt or...?"

"Navy's better. Here, I'll text you the details."

While Haru rummaged around in his bag, Rei, Nagisa and Makoto shot quick smiles of encouragement at Rin, while Rin gave them a look of sheer death.

 _What the fuck is my life?_  Rin sobbed quietly as he hit his head against the wall a little harder, _I tried to_   _ **plan**  getting this guy  **alone**  because I  **like**  him  **what the fuck is my**   **life**_

* * *

——which thank _god_  Haru bought like a discount at a 100 yen store: swiftly and only slightly questioning its convenience.

Though somehow, Haru didn't question Rin's obviously relative lack of other plans, and he didn't question how Rin lingered at his side outside the school the rest went on their pyjama-parade. And god bless the both of them when they turned to face each other at the same time, each with their own important question.

"Hey, Haru, I—"

"Rin, would you—"

They both stopped soon after, with Rin clamming up and Haru's mouth hung loose, but both of their eyes went a little rounder.

"...What is it, Rin?"

Rin flashed over Haru's unknowing, soft expression, and like the lovesick loser he was he just shook his head, hoping to God and above that Haru wouldn't spot his nervous swallow.

"No, it's—you can go first." he insisted weakly. He stood his tiny, tiny ground at Haru's curious gaze, before he nodded once.

"Well...would you like to have lunch with me?"

_Holy shit, like a **date**?  **Hell** yeah, sign me up—wait there's probably some—_

"I bought extra mackerel the other day..."

_—catch..._

"Eh, sure," Rin shrugged, his years of professional acting in the field of  _I-don't-give-a-shit-but-I- **really** -do _doing wonders for his nonchalance. "I'm getting pretty hungry, and I don't feel like going back yet."

"Ah..." Haru murmured, looking at the ground between the roots of the cherry blossom trees. "I'm glad you can stay."

_Why do you have to say things like that, Haru, you're killing me you're **killing** me and you didn't even **do** anything yet how could I **possibly—**_

Rin jerked away his head so swiftly he didn't see the twinge of colour flirting at Haru's ear.

So with an offer to some mackerel, they walked together, alone, along the shore for his house. During this time, when Haru was unknowingly staring at the sea, Rin was steeling himself.

_Don't fuck this up, don't fuck this up, don't fuck thi—fuck me, he's probably not even gay. Or **straight** even. He'll tell me he's been committed to mizu-sama and then fucking swim off into the distance._

Rin clenched the fabric of his pockets tight, pursing his lip so hard he felt the dimples in his chin would be permanent. The anticipation of rejection (yeah as if his feelings would be  _returned_ this wasn't a shoujo manga à la Matsuoka) ate away at him, leading him to question for the last of countless times whether or not it was worth it, if he was that emotionally masochistic to just burn himself with the fact  _(fact)_ that Nanase Haruka would never even glance at him as anything beyond some angst-y rival. And he found his answer, time and time again, with a bitter wince.

_Whatever. I gave up a long time ago..._

"Haru..." well _shit,_ wasn't his voice shaky?

"Mm?"

Rin knew Haru would turn to look at him, because the guy was nice enough to  _always_ turn to look at him. But he also knew that, especially now of all times, he wouldn't be able to handle it. Because those blue eyes were unreal and staring and prying and he was pretty sure that if he looked into him he would think _no, it's okay like this, I can hide it away a little longer, because if I don't he's never gonna look at me like that again..._ and his friends efforts to get him here would be wasted and he'd have some weak apology and it would happen again and  _again and again_...

So, no, instead, Rin's neck was locked down so he had a nice view of his trainers, the sidewalk, and Haru's feet a little ways away.

_ok ok ok ok ok **breathe**. Now say it._

"I...I," Rin ground his teeth together, "I like you!" he nearly shouted in his panic, cringing when he _felt_ Haru  _freeze_. "A-And just to make it clear, _not_ ," he gulped, "Not j-just in the friend way..."

_Because fuck me, I will **shoot** myself if you don't get this the first time round because I probably won't ever get to say this again._

He tightened his fist as he brought the end to his own misery.

"Will...will you go out with me...?"

To his credit, he was way more daring whenever he played out this scene in his head. And even in his head he'd have Haru hiding a scoff before flatly rejecting him.

After a dying age, he took a chance by looking up from the gravel to see Haru slowly shift his weight on his feet, now—oh crap, now he was _walking_ towards him. Rin yanked his chin up to see Haru's electric eyes coming closer and closer and _shit, he's gonna punch me for being so stupid, isn't he?_

That was his reasoning as his eyes widened so much it hurt, tensing his arms defensively as Haru breached into his personal space. Rin was sure he never felt so scared in his life than in the moment Haru grabbed his arms so suddenly.

"F-Fuck," Rin stuttered, a cold fear gripping his insides because Haru was _burning holes into his very skull_. "Haru, I'm _sorry_ , I—"

Then Haru kissed him. And suddenly the numbing force that pressed and sickened his gut transformed at a lightning speed into a fiery, tingling, _sweet_ feeling that made Rin exercise the breadth of his coherency in a poignant thought of  _HOLY MOTHER OF—  
_

And if anyone asked, Rin did  _not_ gasp, because that would be a really pussy reaction to being kissed. And he did not  _whimper_ when he felt Haru's lips moulding against his and his breath hot and fanning over his parted mouth, because that would just be stupidly pathetic. And Rin was  _not_ stupidly pathetic when it came to Nanase Haruka spontaneously making out with him; no, he took it  _much_ better than devolving into a girlish putty into Haru's firm, strong grip and his soft yet hard mouth and _was that his tongue over his lip holy fuck_

"Sh-Shit, Haru,  _wait_ ," of course Rin didn't really  _want_ Haru to wait because  _god **damn**  _this felt  _hot_ and Haru nearly  _growling_ into his mouth in a focused need was the at the pinnacle of Rin's consciousness (besides the fact he was kissing him and seemed to even like him enough to willing mash his face against his, that was also pretty important). Unfortunately, he was also conscious of the fact they were outside, and Rin felt the need to maintain face and not start shoving his tongue into Haru yet because he was a loser like that. "We're in  _public_...!"

"No one's around though..."

As much as the breathy sentiment made Rin flush in multiple places, it also sobered him from his high of Haru (which would hopefully be a thing from now on).

"C-Come on,"— _fuck me why am I stuttering so much and why is my voice so high—_ "It'll be... _bad_ if anyone sees."

In Rin's own defence, thinking or speaking (or doing practically anything) was difficult when you had a horny Nanase Haruka on you.

"But I've been waiting for so long..."

 _Especially_ if said horny Nanase Haruka muttered dumbly hot romantic shit like that in-between kissing your face.

But  _not_  getting half a boner in public would be  _great_ too.

"We...can do more..." Rin managed to gasp out, his words making Haru pause, "...At your place..."

His sage advice seemed to do the trick as he pulled away, and Rin was taken aback (to say the least) at seeing Haru's shamefaced expression, his self-consciousness tinting his cheeks.

"...Sorry I couldn't help myself." Haru murmured, like he was caught near the aquarium tank again, and Rin wouldn't even _begin_ to wrap his head around Haru's stupid cuteness for  _apologising for kissing him_. So in response, Rin gave him a small peck on the forehead, pulling away to meet his surprise with a pout.

"Just make your mackerel and kiss me later, alright?" Rin managed to add just the right amount of gruffness in his voice so he wasn't viewed as a complete sap, but it didn't stop Haru's eyes shining in a subdued smile at him.

"Alright," he nodded, and he couldn't bite his cheek at Rin nearly jumping at his hand curling around his, "Nervous?"

"Shut up and walk..." Rin retorted weakly, trying to focus on how nice the sky looked in the sunset instead of his hand prickling with Haru's warm one.

But for once, he was content. Nervous, excited, a little jittery, but  _definitely_ content...

...

God, he hoped his hand wouldn't sweat, that'd be _embarrassing_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anndddd this was the reboot of my old drabble I was talking about :D Added some OT5 and good ol' awkward baby Rin <3
> 
> Probably going to do a chapter where Haru's the one to confess later on x)


	3. Babysitting Hazuki Kaito - Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Haru wanted to have a sleepover, but then they get roped into babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Babysitting ficlet that features Reigisa! :D (Rated G for fluff and bABies :D)

[Moved here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3241448)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I was working on this for the past few days and it's just getting sO long I need to post it in parts otherwise I might never get it out x) I got the inspiration from recounting my headcanon to Hinalilly on Skype and, well, it turned into this :D
> 
> I have like _5000_ more words of this sitting on my laptop, so I'll post it up when _something actually happens_ :'D


	4. Babysitting Hazuki Kaito - Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Haru get debriefed on how to take care of Kaito (Rated G for babyyy)

[Moved here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3241448/chapters/7127102)


	5. Babysitting Hazuki Kaito - Pt.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a.k.a. Continuing the baby fic (Rated G)

[Moved here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3241448/chapters/7061882)


	6. Drunk Confession (Rin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru gets a call from Rin at midnight (Rated T for swearing and mentions of alcohol)

Nighttime settled around Iwatobi, shrouding the little island in the blanket of a dark sky and left ship lights trailing gold over the black, shimmering ocean. The stars pricked through the sleepy haze, sparkling over the houses stacked onto the hills just shy of the seaside. One such house was the Nanase household, where Haru had just thrown on a jacket and some boxers from his satiating bath.

His favourite towel—grey with white polka dots—draped over his head, and he absently rubbed it as he went up the steps to his room, mulling over what seasoning to try next with his mackerel. For a second, he remembered that Iwatobi had joint practice at Samezuka tomorrow afternoon, and a slight swell rose in his chest like a looming wave.

It would be the first time Haru would see Rin in a week, nearly two, from a number of internal assessments and exams that Samezuka students had to take. Though Haru had already wished him luck, and spent his days at the pool in peace without Rin constantly hanging an arm over him and drawing everyone’s eye with his jeering teases, the lack of his loud, demanding presence was...odd, to Haru.

Odd because when his hand splashed through the water to hit the wall on a sprint, he could never rationalise the feeling nagging at his head, heart, or throat, when he pulled his head up to see that Rin wasn’t there in the next lane over. Instead of seeing Rin’s bright, wide grin, his heaving chest and his hair red and flowing from tugging off his slick swimcap, Haru only panted to the sight of dulling blue waves tousling the lane divider.

He didn’t even hear what Makoto was saying to him about actually following the regimen when he pulled him out.

Slowly, but surely, something inside Haru’s calm, newly balanced world shifted again. Though Rin had already thoroughly ruined any semblance of tranquility Haru would ever hope to have when he came bursting in his classroom door years ago, and came stalking down the endless dingy corridor of the club they spent their brightest days together, this new upset felt...different. Yet similar. Similar because it was something to do with Rin, since everytime Makoto or Gou gently shook him out of his thoughts, or Nagisa came running down the side dragging Rei along to jerk him away from his reverie, Haru realised he was pondering over Rin all those times.

He figured it wasn’t worry for how he was performing on his tests, because he knew that Rin was clever, able to get top marks in his subjects except perhaps Ancient Literature. Though one time Haru was wondering if Rin was eating well when the gang went out for sushi, he dismissed the thought since Rin was a healthy person able to feed himself just fine, no matter how much Haru kept thinking back to him as he chewed on his mackerel nigiri. He had looked over to see Rei fretting over Nagisa stuffing his face with sushi, spluttering about the danger that he could have on choking on them. 

While Nagisa howled without reserve at Rei getting sashimi on his glasses and Makoto was frenetic over cleaning however many splashes of soy sauce they accidentally tipped over, Haru mused on whether Rin was enjoying himself too; laughing and shouting or spluttering as much as the others were right now with his friends at Samezuka. Makoto had caught his distracted gaze after soaking up the spill, and his eyes filled with a kind question as Nagisa finally calmed down and dabbed at Rei’s glasses. But Haru only shook his head, unable to put his emotion into something intelligible while Rei muttered in the background at Nagisa helping to clean his shirt. Makoto tilted his head a little when he found he couldn’t decipher the sentiment that was tightening Haru’s brow, but all the same he offered a warm smile, patient for Haru to figure it out on his own before talking about it.

Though as of his hour-long bath he decided that he was being too worried over Rin, who he knew was completely self-sufficient even though he could forget his shirts from time to time, it still didn’t explain why he saw Rin’s smile and felt Rin lean on him when he submerged himself in the water.

The nameless feeling Haru found himself accommodating was very confusing, and he wondered when Rin would ever give him some rest, even when he wasn’t anywhere near.

Haru pulled his towel down to his neck with a sigh, buckling his knees so the mattress bounced when he sat. He became a little fatigued with Rin occupying his thoughts more than before, and he moved his stare from the floorboards at his feet to his phone, charged at his desk. He noticed how he began to use it more often, notably when Rin came back into their lives again and started to insist that they all go out to mall together more often so he could help them with their shopping, or so he put it.

Haru vacantly looked at his phone for a while, staring while he recalled how Rin demanded Haru’s number up front so he could actually have a chance of reaching him. With that thought, he stood up to get his phone, still fixed on it when he walked over. His knee tapped at the chair leg when he unplugged his phone, sliding it open so he could go to Rin’s contact.

 _It’s late_... Haru realised, seeing it was nearly midnight as he navigated to Rin’s phone number and email address. He found himself looking over the mail options, and he considered whether it was a good idea to text him. _What do I even say?_

He pulled his phone back a little when it started ringing.

“Hello?” Haru picked up the call swiftly, bringing it to his ear before he even saw who called.

...

“ _hic_.”

Haru froze on the spot.

“...Rin?”

“ _Ah_ —“ Rin’s voice blared in his ear, and he turned down the volume, shell-shocked at Rin’s blustery laugh and his slurring voice. “ _Haaruu~!_ ” he called giddily, drawing out his name in a pitch that made Haru reach for his head in confusion.

“Rin...? Is that you?” Haru asked again, rendered dumb by Rin’s stilted chuckles punctuated with light hiccups.

“ _Haru_ , I _hafta_...” Rin lulled, and Haru’s throat closed up, his feet rooted to the floor as he frowned in worry. “...I gotta... _tell_ ya...summin’...real— _ly_ im _port_ an’” Rin announced, his words stumbling into Haru’s ear.

“You’re drunk.” Haru uttered blankly, his mind rattling with absolute surprise.

“ _Nah,_ nah, ’m jus’ _buzzed_ , isall. Like, y’know... _bzzt_ , buzzed kinda thing,” he explained. Haru was only hoping he wasn’t near any stairs, or roads, or places where drunk people could hurt themselves. “I ‘m... _not_ drunk. ‘M _un_ drunk~”  Rin giggled. 

“Where are you?” Haru asked, his words soft with concern. He listened carefully to the background to find silence, trying to figure out what was going on.

“......’ _M at_ th’dorm,” he responded, his words still reeling together. “Ni’ori’s out...”

“Ah,” Haru released the breath waiting at his throat. “That’s good...” he said earnestly, grateful that Rin was in his room and probably at his bed where he could be comfortable. “You—“

“— _Y’know_ I saw Nitori’s _porn_?”

“Wha— _Rin..._!’ Haru glanced at his phone in disbelief, feeling second-hand embarrassment warm his cheeks.

“ _Hmm_...s’was summin’ like...... _Porn...Heaven_ ,” he drawled, and Haru pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nah, wait, _porny_ heaven, tha’was it~” 

Haru sat down on his bed so he could concentrate on pressing his hand over his forehead. 

“Isn’porn _funny_ , Haru? S’so _funny_ ,” Rin chuckled breezily, and Haru peeked out of his fingers to stare at the dry strokes of paint on his ceiling while wondering what to do. “Porn... _porn_...porn!... **porn** , porny porn—!”

“ _Rin_ ,” Haru cut in, determined to look past Rin’s careless state. “Are you in bed?”

“ _Yeahh~_ ” Rin sung eventually, like a little kid nodding eagerly.

“...Go to sleep,” Haru sighed, wondering if he even wanted to press this in Rin’s face later. “We have to swim tomorrow.” he reminded, his hand dropping to his chest as he started to recall needing to take aspirin after getting drunk—

“ _Nnooo!_ ” Rin whined in his ear, and Haru winced at how loud Rin could be. “I— _hic_ —got summin’ t’ _tell_ youuu~”

Haru stopped a moment, biting his lip in thought. He wanted to catch up with Rin, but not like this. _However_...he couldn’t deny the curiosity gnawing at his mind, either...

He let out a long sigh.

“Yeah, Rin?” he offered, resting his elbow against the mattress. “What is it?” he asked, dimly pondering whether he’d challenge him to a race in his drunken state.

...

“You’re... _re-all-y..._ ” Rin started, his drawling tone starting to amuse Haru.

“Mm?”

_..._

“ _......Pr—nf......etty...”_

Haru’s eyes jolted open.

“Huh...?” he murmured, sitting himself up in climbing shock.

“You’re so **pret** ty, _Haru_ ~” Rin repeated in a drone, “An’I’m _really_... _pissed_ wi’that.” he said, grumbling through his teeth.

“...You are?”

“Hell— _hic_... _yeah_ ,” Rin insisted, “‘Cause...I don’t get— _why_ you’re so pretty?”

Haru wasn’t able to get his mouth to work before Rin prattled on.

“Like, you were _cute_ b’fore...” he muttered, deep in smashed consideration as Haru laid against the bed, heat drumming at his skull. “In ele... _me_ ’ary school. Like, at first, thought you were...damn _cool_ ’n’ _fast_...” he gushed woozily, bringing Haru back to the first time he saw Rin at the pool and he asked Makoto what his name was and a little smile on his face.

“...Y—“

“—B’then you were a pissy lil’ shit who didn’t wanna relay.”

Haru’s sentimentality wiped clean off his face.

“But you were still all cool ’n’ fast,” he continued, “Then...we slept t’gether and stuff...an’...I jus’ _thought_...”

Haru waited for Rin, curious to what he was going to say. He figured he couldn’t get angry at drunk Rin, and Haru eventually decided this...was a unique chance. 

He felt no repulsion at Rin saying he was pretty (maybe some indignation), but instead more of that swelling feeling collecting in his chest. Even though Rin’s slur was a constant reminder of how tanked he was, Haru was assured that Rin was safe with the quiet in the background and the occasional creaks of Rin’s mattress.

Besides, if it became _really_ embarrassing, it was all the more Haru could tease Rin with.

...

“Yeah?” Haru urged quietly.

“......’This guy’s _cute_.’”  

Haru stilled. His fingertips pricked with heat as he brought them to his face in a daze.

“—‘Like, even his disgustin’ lil’ drool thing is kinda cute.’”

Suddenly his fingers wanted to clench in a fist.

 “But now you’re all _pretty_ , and tha’...pisses me off...”

Haru grunted as he shuffled his seat on the bed, pouting while keeping the phone up to eavesdrop on Rin’s soliloquy.

“S’not _fair_ , ‘cause...you’re like, _han’some_ , too,” Rin whined, and Haru would have been flattered if he could forget Rin was pie-eyed. “Like, you got all these _muscles_ and shit. Like, I lookit you, and I think... _perfect body_ ~” 

Haru made a slow, dragging facepalm, mulling over whether he should laugh or blush at Rin’s mangled praise. 

“Like, you’re slim but you’re still kinda ripped, y’know?” Rin said more softly. “Like, I know my muscles are _awesome_ ,” he scoffed, before settling into his dulcet, stilted tone again. “But...I wanna feel yours sometimes...’cause...they look a lil’ different...” 

Haru pursed his lip, trying to even out his breaths. He thought of Rin tracing over his chest, and somehow that only invited—

“I wanna be pretty like _you_ ~”

“— _Pft...!”_ Haru clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh.

“But _then,_ ’s...r’lly con _fusin’_...” Rin muttered sadly, and Haru cocked a brow, leaning into the phone. “...‘ _Cause_...you’ve got a _dick_?”

Haru glanced down at his boxers, frowning defiantly.

“But—you’re still _really_ pretty...?” Rin wondered, and Haru softened as he went on. “Like, I thought _girls_ wer’only s’posed t’be that pretty, but you...you’re jus’...”

Haru pressed his lip together, and he would be surprised at how embarrassing Rin could really be if he weren’t transfixed.

 “S’like...your hair’s all _black_ ’n’ _sweepy,_ an’...an’ your skin’s all light, like some... _porcelain—china_ shit,” he growled, and Haru flitted between wanting to thumb his hair and roll his eyes. “Even your... _voice’s_ all...smooth ’n’ _pretty_. Laugh like a fuckin’ _angel_ , an’ I didn’...e’en _know_ you could laugh, but...s’so fuckin’ _pretty..._ ”

Haru’s cheeks went tight at Rin’s gruff sigh. He loosely shook his head insisting on how stupid Rin was, for drinking and saying things like these...

 “And your eyes, they...fuckin’ piss me off the _most_ , ‘cause...”

Haru’s brow arched. Everyone he met had said at least something about his eyes. If this farce was an insight to what Rin really thought of him all this time, then maybe he’d—

“—‘Cause they’re like, lil’ pools, and I wanna swim in’em...” 

...

“—Eh?”

“I wanna fly in your eyes, _Haruuu_ ~” A laugh. “ _My_ _shining_ ~!”

...

...

“Pft _—!_ _Aha_...!!”

Haru clutched onto his own stomach, doubling up as his cheeks puffed in a painful tightness. He held the phone away so he could bury his sheer mirth into the pillows.

He wasn’t forgetting that one.

“Also, wan’ed ‘o...” Rin started again, just as Haru’s breathing calmed and he was at the phone again. “I miss you,” Rin said firmly, with the most lucidity Haru had heard all night. “Exams are easy an’ fuckin’ stupid, and I wanna see you, ’n’ M’koto, ’n’ Nagisa ’n’ Rei all act like dumb shits. N’ I wanna see you ’n’ your dumb, pretty face, eatin’ your dumb, tasty mack’rel, readin’ your dumb waterfall porn and swimmin’ your dumb, pretty free...” 

Rin ranted with his drunk passion, and Haru gave an affectionate smile all the while.

“N’ I wanna kiss your dumb, fuckin’ lips, ‘cause...” Rin muttered, and the flowing sensation in Haru’s chest lurched to make a tiny gasp. “Look like...they feel r’lly _dumb_ and... _soft_. And _i’pisses_ me off...” he mumbled, his gabble gradually slowing as Haru palmed his lips in a trance.

“Rin...”

 “You piss me off _sooo_ much, Haru...hope you’re fuckin’... _happy_ ‘bout that...” he muttered petulantly.

“Mm.” Haru hummed, and he wondered if he should’ve felt bad for giving a soft chuckle.

“...’M sleepy.” Rin whined, and Haru checked the time to see it was past midnight.

“Go to sleep then...” Haru murmured, still floating on a high as Rin’s groan shook his receiver.

“Mkay...” Rin relented, his voice drifting. “.....love you......”

Haru’s breath tripped as the line clicked, and he was alone in his room again with night hanging outside his window. The soreness of his arm sunk in from holding his phone, and he let it collapse with a thud on the mattress, everything sprinting in his mind and heart. He stayed up that night, wondering and wondering.

* * *

“M’not drinking ever again...” Rin moaned, clutching his head as it fell back against the pillow, staring up at the bottom of Nitori’s bunk with aspirin and water at the floor by his dangling hand.

He let himself go at the party last night for celebrating the end of their exams. It was his first time going out drinking, and by the time he remembered tipping in his fourth drink, everything became a fuzzy haze that made him squint.

“God, can’t even go to practice...” Rin grumbled, checking the time and throwing his hands up. “Fucking missed it...!” He grit his teeth in frustration, but Mikoshiba had told him to not come to training, since he had been the one to bring Rin back into his dorm. “ _Dammit_...” he cursed under his breath, “Today can’t get any fucking worse, I _swear_ —“

Two knocks on the door.

“Use your key, Nitori...!”

“I’m coming in.”

Rin stopped. That wasn’t Nitori.

“Wait, _Haru_!” Rin scrambled up as fast as he could without making himself dizzy. “Don’t come in—!” 

Haru came in.

“Hey.” Haru greeted, clad in uniform while water slightly clung to his hair from practice.

 “ _Great_ , now _you’re_ gonna see me like this...” he complained, collapsing back on the bed. “I went out drinking for the first time, and I got drunk off my ass!” he announced brashly, hiding away his cheeks starting to burn with shame by turning to the wall. “Didn’t Mikoshiba tell you that—“

“—Rin.”

Rin started at Haru’s sharp tone, turning to see Haru approaching him.

“...Yeah?” Rin asked, sitting himself up. “What is it?”

Haru sat down right beside him, looking deep into Rin’s wide red eyes.

“I think you’re pretty, too.”

...

“Wha...” Rin searched over Haru’s serious expression, his cheeks flaring up as he backed away. “Wh- _What the hell are you_ —!!”

“You confessed to me while you were drunk.”

Rin’s eyes flicked over Haru’s intense gaze, and his sober tone left him dumb. He opened his mouth, but clapped it shut, realising Haru never joked about things like these. He reached over to the side for his phone, clicking through it and checking his call history. His eyes widened when he saw it: a 10 minute call with Haru at midnight.

“ _Kill me_.” Rin pleaded, and he nearly dropped his phone when Haru’s hand gently pulled his shoulder.

“Do you really?” Haru asked, his eyes glimmering as Rin stared slack-jawed at him.

“I...I...” Rin stuttered, feeling his throat close up and his headache coming back, his stomach reeling with anxiety. “What did I say...?“ he tried, clearing his throat.

Haru recited over Rin mentioning Nitori’s porn, angrily complimenting Haru, missing the guys and saying he loved him before going to sleep with ease, having spent the whole night going over it in his restless head.

Rin nearly spat.

“Oh _god_ ,” Rin jerked away to direct his frantic stare at the floor, burying his head in his hands. “ _Shit,_ I fucked up, this isn’t...!”

“I...love you, too.”

Time stopped in Rin’s dormitory, and he could only feel his breaths come like a camper through quicksand as he brought his head up to gape at Haru, still earnest with a faint blush.

“Bu--wha--“

“I kept thinking about you these past two weeks,” Haru added, clenching his fist at his lap. “And...after thinking about it...” he explained, his voice trailing off with his eyes.

“I-- _Idiot_!!” Rin yelled, his frustration propelling his arms to grip Haru’s shoulders. “Why would you go say that?!” he demanded, “For all you know I could’ve been completely _bullshitting_ , why the _hell_ would you—?!”

“...I didn’t think you would lie about that.” Haru murmured, looking into Rin’s eyes freezing up.

“Th-Th— _That’s_...!” Rin fumbled desperately, his face turning scarlet while Haru brought his fingers to Rin’s cheek.

“...You _are_ pretty.” Haru insisted, smiling as Rin spluttered before setting his jaw.

“Shut _up_...!” Rin growled, pulling Haru’s back in so their lips met in a hard, long kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't claim to know what it's like to actually be drunk, just a forewarning (maybe I should've made Rin puke a lil oh well)
> 
> Drabble for my insomnia 8'D not edited at all, so do forgive the errors please :3
> 
> Also, this doesn't mean the babysitting part is done yet, incase you're wondering XP


	7. Life Is Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the close of their eternal summer, Haru realises something urgent, pressing, and a little bit late. (Rated T)

 

_Life is calling_

_Restless, relentless,_

_Ending our first and last_

_Eternal summer_

 

* * *

 

Haru woke up to the smell of rain.

He slid his eyes open, rousing to the sound of life pattering at his windowpane. Even though his gaze was trained on his pale ceiling tempered with murky shadows, Haru was sharply aware of the futon cold beside his bed.

 

_…Rin._

 

He had slept over again, but this time it was a little different. It was the end of their summer holidays, after they had graduated along with Makoto.

It was…odd. Bittersweet. Like the moment when Haru packed away his uniform didn’t belong to him, but was ripped from someone else’s life, someone much older and wearier than himself.

But his summer with Rin—their summer—was sweet. Carefree.

 

As beautiful as he had imagined it to be when he saw Rin’s eyes set with determination with the promise of a sight he had never seen before.

As beautiful as he had imagined it to be when his hand was outstretched and open, ready for Rin to take it more than ever to see that sight again.

 

Their summer was nearly eternal.

…Nearly.

 

Haru laid there dazed and listless, his body sunken into his mattress. His eyes felt dry, and the room was stained dark with grey clouds overhead. Mist rolled along the windows, giving ambience to the emptiness in Haru’s mind slowly filling with consciousness.

 

He slowly swallowed, then smacked his mouth.

 

Morning breath.

 

He pulled a little face, tugging himself and rolling over so he faced the bedroom door.

 

He should brush his teeth.

 

He dragged his body up with the grace of a lolling bear, heaving with a long sigh until he was sitting at the edge of his bed. The rain made his eyes heavy, and his body long for slumber again. He tried to will his fatigue away, interlacing his fingers and stretching his arms high over his head, popping his joints into place. Then he let his body down again with a huff, rolling his neck in a languid breath.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, their deep blue clouded with the homely gloom of rain as he peeled them open again. He yawned, scratching his stomach tiredly as he looked over to his desk out of habit.

 

There was a piece of paper there.

He tilted his head, his face curious yet composed.

 

He pulled himself out of bed, lulling to let a momentary blindness wash over from standing up. He waited it out, shaking his head a bit before he walked over to read the note more carefully.

 

He paused.

 

His pencil was beside it as well as his rubber, with bits of snapped lead and rubber shavings strewn around on the desktop, clearly brushed off the paper.

 

He frowned.

 

He picked up the paper, his eyes going past the ingrained drafts of messages erased and redone, past the creases of the paper crumpled with haphazard rubbing. It flitted over the grey ghosts of sentences, whispering:

 

> ~~_I’ve always_ ~~
> 
> ~~_I’m really glad_ ~~
> 
> ~~_Sorry I_ ~~
> 
> ~~_We had a great summer_ ~~
> 
> ~~_That sight one more time_ ~~

 

Subconsciously, Haru caught everything; every intention and meaning already spoke volumes with the number of notes, written too firmly and rubbed in vain. Instead, his eyes fixed on the words at the centre of the little note.

 

 

_See you._

 

 

The world spun into focus.

 

  

* * *

 

“I’ve got my things packed at my mom’s place.” Rin said off-handedly, drawing Haru’s gaze onto his futon.

“Yeah?” Haru muttered, his eyes adjusting to the dim light of the room.

“Yup,” Rin nodded shortly, rolling onto his back so Haru could see his face. “My flight’s in the evening, so I’ll be ready about anytime in the afternoon. Though I gotta go visit in the morning,” he said, clicking his tongue. “Bonding  _stuff_.”

“Ah.” Haru affirmed slowly, chuckling at Rin’s playful huff.

“But  _man_ , it’s gonna be  _great_!” Rin cheered, stretching his arms to the ceiling. “Gonna go overseas, study in a kickass  _uni_  and swim on a kickass  _team_ ,” he singsonged, rolling his head to the tune of his future. “I’ll be the fastest swimmer there!” Rin announced brightly, smirking as Haru watched him cradle his head on the futon.

“Mm.” Haru nodded, his fist cushioning his cheek as he was on his side, looking down at Rin’s tenacious grin.

“I’ve trained all summer—hell, all my  _life_  for this,” he stated, though a touch quieter than before. “And I got in there for a swimming scholarship, so I’m gonna blow them all out of the water!” he declared, readjusting his head back into his hands. “Competition of getting in is long gone, but I’ll wow them on the first day.”

Haru’s eyes were soft with pride. “You’ll be great.”

“I know I will,” Rin waved his hand, and Haru smiled at his haughty tone with a roll of his eyes. “I know you guys’ll be here, backing me up, so…” he trailed off, attracting Haru’s attention before he shrugged it off. “I’ll do fine.”

The hum of cicadas seeped through the indigo window, and Haru blinked down at Rin relaxing into the futon.

…

 

“—Rin.”

 

“Mm?” Rin’s eyes fluttered open from nearly lidding, and he looked over to Haru’s set expression. “What is it?”

 

“I want to visit you. In university,” Haru murmured, his voice calm through the night in his bedroom. He gazed down at his own fist curled beside his head, feeling Rin’s eyes widen with a breath. “And…one day…when I’m ready,” he said, shifting his eyes away as he heard Rin sitting up, disturbing the futon. “…I want to swim with you.”

Haru closed his eyes in a relieving breath, his mind strangely calm from his quiet proclamation. They slid open to Rin’s red and bright, staring at him out of a reserved, almost panicked hope.

 

“…Really?”

 

Haru stared at how his eyes shimmered red in the low moonlight, how his breathless voice escaped his conflicted, cautious expression.

 

When Haru nodded, he choked.

 

He nearly stumbled when Rin came over to lock him in a tight, clutching embrace.

 

 

“… _Haru_ …”

 

 

Rin gasped out his name, his voice thick and his eyes squeezing and wet.

 

“I—I can’t  _believe_ —I thought you weren’t— _you’re really_ —!“

He shook his head in a sob, his wine locks tousling at Haru’s neck as he simply pulled him in close, stretching over the edge of the bed.

 

“When I’m ready…” Haru repeated, soothing and warm as Rin sniffled into his shoulder. “I’ll swim with you.”

 

“Haru…” Rin cried again, muffled into his shirt as Haru smiled over his shoulder. “ _Haru…_!”

His hair smelled of his shampoo.

* * *

 

The air sharpened with a heavy weight, and Haru felt grounded to the earth he was standing on.

 

His eyes were hard and wide, frowning deeply as he searched over the note, his mind devolving into a frazzled mess. A surging heat suffocated his limbs, radiating into his bedroom cool with the sprinkling coat of rainfall.

 

“…Rin…”

 

Haru shivered out of his sudden distress, his muscles screaming with the urge to move. His heart roaring with the  _need_  to escape, to get out.

 _To let him know_.

 

But his mouth was parted and dumb.

 

But he  _had_  to—

He  _needed_  to—

 

Haru nearly broke his cupboard door from opening it so hard, and it clattered violently as he thrust in his hand, rummaging for anything he could wear. He threw on the first shirt and trousers he pulled out, ruffling his hair as he teemed with nerves.

His steps were loud and unchecked as he went down to the bathroom, going straight for his toothbrush at the sink instead of the tap in the bath.

 

His chest shuddered harshly when he spat out his water.

 

He clenched onto the sides of the sink, watching the foam slither into the drain.

 

_When…_

_When did I…_

 

* * *

 

“ _Haru_ ~!” Rin whined, banging on the bathroom door. “It’s been an  _hour_ , you gotta get out!”

“The water’s comfortable.” Haru said blankly, sinking a little further into the tub.

“Can I at least brush my teeth?” Rin asked incredulously, and a pause settled between them.

…

“I didn’t lock the door.”

“Assuming you have your swimsuit,” Rin muttered before sliding it open, trudging in front of the mirror. “I can’t believe you had to  _consider_  letting me brush my teeth.”

“I can’t believe you asked me to stop my bath.” Haru deadpanned, looking over to face Rin’s in kind.

…

“—I will drain that tub, I swear.”

“No you won’t.”

“Watch me.”

 

* * *

 

He tore through the showering rain, the wind whipping his umbrella as puddles splashed in his wake. He sprinted for the train station with a low roll of thunder, his gasps resounding in his ears as he squinted in the grey morning.

A glimmer of sunlight broke through in the distance, and Haru’s heart pumped with heat when he glimpsed a faint rainbow.

 

* * *

 

“Check this!”

Rin's call was completely brazen as he plunged his fists into pool, pulling them out in a stretch as wide as his grin as water splashed all around.

“Rin-chan, that’s a  _huge_  one!” Nagisa exclaimed, his blonde hair swinging up in a happy laugh as a rainbow glistened overhead.

“You’re still so good at it, too,” Makoto marvelled, bringing his palms up to touch the falling vapour. “This is the biggest one you’ve made so far!”

“Right?” Rin sniggered boyishly, sticking his nose up in pride towards his ethereal rainbow.

“I have to say,” Rei looked upon the spectacle in a critical awe, squinting without his glasses as he cupped his chin. “Your success rate in creating beautiful rainbows is quite high, Rin-san.”

“Yeah, well,” Rin brushed his nose in a sniff, smirking as he set his arms akimbo. “It’s a skill you don’t forget so easily, y’know?” he grinned, drawing in everyone’s chuckle.

Haru waded at the side, popping just half his head above the water as he gazed at the rainbow lingering in the air.

 

“Yo, Haru!”

 

He turned to Rin’s call barely stifled by the water, spotting his expectant smile and the sky high and blue behind his red wet hair.

 

“Well?” he asked, nudging his head to the fading rainbow. “You asked me to make them again, didntcha?” he jeered, with an amiable tone that warmed Haru’s chest.

 

When he hid his soft twinkle beneath the water and nodded, Rin threw his head back in a sparkling laugh.

 

* * *

 

Haru blinked, and he was reeled back to his legs carrying him to the platform of the train. His umbrella dripped with rain at his side, soaking the side of his trousers as he whipped his head around, droplets flying with every searching, hard swing.

 

“Rin!”

 

The sky looked like a dull evening with the deserted train station, but it was much earlier than Haru had thought in reality. No one would be there so early in the day, especially during the weekend and wet weather.

 

* * *

 

Haru inhaled the fresh sea air, breezing through his hair as his body cut through it in a swift jog. Rin was beside him, his steps plodding along the sand reassuring his pace. The atmosphere was warm and bright, the sunlight comfortable and toasty before was now sweltering, beating at his skin sticky with exertion.

He let out a streaming breath when he spotted a small post at the sidewalk not a hundred metres away, and his mind numbed with relief at the sight of their goal.

 

He turned when Rin jogged a little ahead of him, almost unknowingly by the look of focus on his face.

He gave a pointed look, pumping his legs until he was a metre ahead and feeling Rin’s stare at his back.

“Oh  _hell_  no,” Rin announced with a broad grin, leaning forward as he burst up to speed. “You will lose  _so fast_ …!” he yelled, bringing his knees higher as he snickered in glee.

 

Rin faltered when his jacket tugged back.

“H- _Hey_!”

He stumbled, yanking his head up to see Haru passing him by, drinking in Rin’s momentary confusion.

 

“You wish.”

He tore into a full sprint for the post.

 

“Wha— _you_ —!!” Rin barked in disbelief, growling with a smirk as every muscle bolted towards Haru’s hair whipping in the wind.

 

When they reached the end, Rin was keeled over panting and Haru was holding onto the post, clutching onto it for support while his breath came out like steam.

 

“Fuckin’… _cheat_ …” Rin wheezed out, airing out his shirt drenched in sweat.

“Still…won…” Haru retorted in puffs, latching his hands onto his hips as he tossed his head back, letting out a rough breath at the piling heat.

“By an  _inch_ ,” he spat petulantly. “Just ‘cause…you one-upped…me…” Rin shook his head weakly, huffing in the consuming summer heat. “— _Fuck_ , I hate you,” Rin groaned out, peeling off his soaked tee to straggle for relief. “S’too fuckin’ hot for this shit…”

“I thought…you were—“ Haru gulped, releasing another gasp. “Trying…to race…”

“Yeah, well—“

“—And you did.” Haru cut in, earning a pointed red scowl.

“I wouldn’t let you off on anything…” Rin reminded through a mutter, knocking his head back and squeezing his eyes through the muggy coastal air. “— _Goddammit_ ,” he clicked his tongue, using his shirt as a towel for his face and chest sheened with sweat. “I just wanna shower at your place right fuckin’ now.”

 

“Okay,” Haru nodded, beginning to stand and press his palms into his knees. “Who’ll go first?”

“Huh?” Rin muttered, leaning his neck to crack an eye open at Haru taking off his shirt.

“…Who gets to shower first?” he asked again, holding his shirt before registering the sheer glare Rin gave him.

 

…

 

“ _God_ , I  _hate_  you.”

They raced for Haru’s house.

 

* * *

 

Haru dimly registered droplets flowing down his cheeks while he frantically searched for Rin, trying not to blink at the drizzle on the platform. He was searching all over the section where the trains headed for Rin’s house, and he brought his arm over his eyes at a stealing gust of wind.

“ _Rin_!” he called out, clapping his mouth from the rain blowing in. “ _Rin_ , where are you…?!”

 

* * *

_Come to laugh at my pathetic loss?_

_They took me out of the relay!_

_I told you to laugh at me!_

_Why…Why doesn’t it say ‘free’…?!_

* * *

 

His body snapped over like a magnet to a train pulling up in the distance, and he ran there uncaring of whether he skidded on the stone floor slick with rain.

Because, for some reason, when he read that note—

 

* * *

 

When Haru slapped the wall, his chest burning with all-out exertion, he knew.

 

He had won.

 

Through the blood racing and dying down in his brain, his muscles, his chest. Through the waves of the water lapping at him in just that way, in that single fashion, it set off every alarm in his head.

 

After all, it was the same feeling the water held in that cold, cold winter.

 

Instincts and memory kicked in, and Haru was tacked onto the spot. Breathing, blinking, remembering. Staring where the edge of the pool refracted below the crystal blue water.

 

It was silly, it was base.

 

But, for a single, fleeting moment.

 

In the heartbeat that Rin pulled up a fraction of a  _fraction_  of a second later.

 

 

Haru panicked.

 

 

But—

 

“Yo.”

 

—Only in that moment.

 

His body pivoted around on an axle, facing Rin with his hair slicked back and his lip pouting. And his arm lax and up for a high-five, for a show of goodwill.

 

“Good race.”

 

Haru blinked, almost unsure of how to handle this foreign situation before his embarrassing brain kicked into gear again.

It was just that he’d never really seen Rin like this before. Not after a race at least.

 

Haru lifted his hand tentatively, as if Rin would slap it away like he made a mistake.

But then Rin’s hand shot towards his, and a loud clap rang throughout the pool.

Haru’s eyes went round when Rin clasped it heartily, a devilish sort of grin crossing his sharp, red features.

 

“I’m gonna kick your ass next time,” Rin reminded. “But still a good race.” he shrugged.

Rin looked at Haru’s fading confusion, chuckling incredulously before he let his hand slip out of his grip.

“What, never had a high-five before, Haru?” Rin scoffed in his impish, somehow endearing smirk.

 

He lugged himself out of the pool, shaking the water out of his hair while tugging off his goggles. Haru vacantly watched him hover over his block, cocking a wary brow.

“What are you waiting for?” Rin asked, jolting Haru out of his reverie. “Me to pull you up?” he suggested, snorting at the concept.

He looked down again when he heard nothing, beginning to genuinely frown at Haru floating below.

“ _Oi_ , you gone mute or something?” he challenged, pouting. “We need to either race again, or get food, and right now—“ he clapped his abs, rubbing them with a cheeky grin. “My stomach votes food!”

 

“…Better be mackerel.” Haru muttered, grabbing onto the ledge and pushing himself up.

 

“Yeah, god  _forbid_  we get what  _I_  want,” he snivelled, letting Haru roll his eyes at his snigger slipping out “Aw, come  _on_ , Haru~” Rin whined, slumping an arm over Haru’s shoulder, shaking it with a huff. “We haven’t had kimchi in fuckin’  _ages_!”

“Same for mackerel.” Haru shrugged, turning to Rin’s sneer.

“Four hours doesn’t count as ages.”

“It does to me.”

“You better hope I don’t reach the kitchen first, you  _ass_.”

 

* * *

 

When he read that note—

 

—When their summer came streaming back in a malfunctioning reel of consciousness flashing like a broken montage.

 

—When he realised that his hope—their hope—for an eternal summer came to an inevitable close, and nothing would  _really_  ever be the same any longer.

 

 

 

He found another answer.

 

 

 

The rain seemed to pour harder when Haru spotted his black hoodie soaked to the bone.

As if Rin would think to just take his umbrella, useless beside him.

…Idiot.

 

He almost looked like some lean thug, his black sports cap sticking out from his oversized hood drawn over his head. His hands were buried in his pockets as he slouched from trying to dry off from the rain before.

 

Haru stole a long, hard breath, clearing space for his rattling heart.

 

His trousers were blemished with rainwater, and his sneakers almost squeaked as they approached the glowing entrance of the train.

 

 

“ _Rin_!”

 

 

Haru watched him freeze, blinking before yanking his head.

 

Shock and confusion blazoned over Rin’s face as he watched Haru clutching his knees, breathing as if he relished being alive for the first time.

 

 

“Rin…” Haru gulped down his winded words, his features screwed up in what looked like pain. “ _…Wait_ …”

 

 

Rin’s brow arched.

 

Rin stepped off the edge of the train, turning to face Haru a few metres away with a disbelieving smile.

 

“Haru?” he asked with a lilt, bemused yet glad all at once. “…What are you doing?”

 

He quipped as if he was seeing something lighter, funnier than Haru short of breath in the middle of the rain, just shy of the roof of the platform where the rain freefell from the high sky.

He glanced over Haru’s bright, alert eyes, blue and focused. He pulled back his hood maybe to address Haru more properly, to see the way his smooth hair was inky and matted over his forehead more clearly. To hear his clear, cool voice break through the rushing rainfall.

 

Haru’s brain suddenly short-circuited, like a fuse melted with overload and he was left unnerved and numb. He felt the rain soak through his clothes fibre by fibre, while his beating heart and panting lungs resounded in his shelled-out skull.

 

…

 

“…Um.”

 

Rin’s mutter jarred Haru’s standstill, lodging him back into their trudging reality.

 

 

“ _Might_  wanna make it quick,” Rin suggested in a joke, rubbing his nape lightly. “I got a train t’catch.”

 

 

Haru’s eyes flashed with his sweet chuckle, and his lips clenched to the point of pain.

 

 

 

 

“— _I love you_!”

 

 

 

 

The words burned his throat when they tore out of it, leaving Haru feeling dazed, scorched,  _ashamed_  as Rin’s eyes grew painfully wide.

 

 

“…H-Huh…?”

 

 

Haru took another quavering gasp, before his mouth could seize up.

 

 

“— _I love you_ , Rin…!” he repeated, his voice almost trembling if his volume weren’t so blessedly bold.

 

 

> He was breathing so hard now.

 

 

“I…I’m an idiot!” he proclaimed, his cheeks straining with absolute crimson as Rin’s jaw went lax. “I spent all summer—all my life—“

His throat clenched, and he choked up.

  

 

>  And he never felt so,  _so_  afraid.

 

 

But he wrenched his mouth open with a resolute shake of his head.

“Thinking you were just my  _rival_ —“

   

 

> Because Rin was leaving.
> 
> A train and a flight away from his future, away from him.

 

 

“My…my  _dear_  friend—“

  

 

> And this was tearing their friendship apart at the seams.
> 
> Who would want to bat an eye at a guy confessing to another at an empty, rainy train station?

 

 

“—But…!”

Haru forged on, his fists clenched at his sides as Rin just stared at an utter loss.

“ _But I was wrong!_ ”

  

 

> But it was too late to look back.

 

 

“I…I care about you…so  _much_ , I—”

    

 

> The only way was forward.

 

 

He felt a pathetic crawl in his gut, collecting at his the base of his throat as his eyes and nose soured.

 

“This summer—this summer was what I’ve always wanted!”

 

A crackling thunder filled the heavens above.

 

“I spent nearly everyday beside you! You spent everyday hanging off of me, eating with me, laughing with me, swimming with me…!”

 

His eyes fluttered at the rain coursing down his face, trying to see Rin’s through the blur of his lashes.

 

“I never want to forget that…! I want to swim with you, beside you!  _I—!_ ”

 

* * *

 

Haru had agreed to go Dutch for a restaurant, and somehow Rin singlehandedly diverted the conversation to romance.

“You always see the guy or girl in manga bowing really deeply when they confess, like,” Rin tossed up his hand, dismissing social dogma with just a flippant wave. “Yeah, sure, I  _get_  it…but…”

“But?” Haru looked up from his bowl of kimchi, taking a sip of water as Rin furtively glanced to the side.

“Tell ya the truth,” he admitted lowly, leaning over the table as the waiters shuffled by. “I want anyone who confesses t’me to do it with their head held high.” he murmured, pulling back with a slow nod like he had everything figured out.

“Really…?” Haru never gave it real thought before but he tilted his head, imagining how standoffish a girl would appear announcing their affections so decisively.

“Yeah, it’d be cool,” Rin said assuredly, sliding his elbows even closer. “And a sure sign that they’re into me.” he leered, tweaking up his brow in a silly expression before he doubled up at Haru rolling his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Haru’s back unfurled into a bold, unswerving stance. He stood head on to ingrain every detail of this trace of time, of Rin’s face—his round, red eyes; soaked, dark locks; thick, parted lips—against the backdrop of his shining complexion, his person beautiful and vivid in the crisp squall.

 

He wrested his hopes in his shuddering chest, his eyes never leaving Rin’s even for a breath.

 

 

 

“ _I want to be with you, always!_ ”

 

 

 

Haru clamped his lips shut after that, watching Rin with a new, desperate intensity shimmering in his blue eyes.

 

…

 

It would just be mean, now, to ask for a response.

 

… …

 

So Haru waited.

 

… … …

 

He waited as long as the scarring feeling of abandonment festered with every second Rin goggled him like he dove head-first onto the tracks.

 

… …

 

His heart filled his muscles with blood, pumping and rushing for fight or flight, demanding that Haru move  _now_  at this  _very instant_.

 

…

 

But he stood stock-still.

…

Waiting.

…

So  _patiently_  waiting—

…

 

—As a swelling rejection ate him alive, body and soul.

  

 

> He swore he never felt true, hollowing pain the moment Rin weakly shook his head.
> 
> The days of Rin’s innocent smiles flashed by in a blink as a pure void ripped into his winded chest, gaping and null.
> 
> He wanted to clutch at the remnants of his shattering heart, before they bled away into the howling rain.

 

 

“… _Haru_ …” 

  

 

> He swore he never felt complete, utter shock when Rin started to run towards him, tackling him so his umbrella clattered on the ground.
> 
> The memories of Rin’s body warm and firm raced by in a gasp as his ears caught Rin’s heated whisper of love, with a hug that rushed the wind back into his lungs.
> 
> Rin swept up the shards of his heart in his bounding wake and pieced it together again at godspeed, with every nestle of his face into the crook of Haru’s soaking neck.

 

 

“You  _dumbass_ ,” Rin grumbled into his shirt, sniffling. “Confessing in the  _rain_ —”

 

The rising sob in Rin’s voice was too familiar to throw Haru off, and his heart started to temper in its choppy, dulcet melody.

 

“In a fuckin’ empty  _train station_  when I’m about to  _board_ —“

 

Haru sighed in a deluge of relief, seeping through the hairs on his skin as his arms wound around Rin’s shivering frame.

 

“With your head held up so  _goddamn high_ —”

 

A rosy smile wreathed Haru’s lips, and his fingers caught the smooth gaps between his red locks. He leisurely threaded through his damp hair to the very roots, stroking it lovingly as Rin feebly punched his chest.

 

“Fuck…”

 

Rin started shaking his head, baring his teeth in sobs.

 

“— _Fuck_ , what are you trying to  _do_  to me…?”

 

Haru leaned back to gently brush his chin, tilting it back so he could see Rin’s narrowed eyes bright and fresh with tears, melding with the thunderstorm’s. His cheeks glowed with a seeping blush and the points of his teeth sunk into the flesh of his lip, quivering with a sheen of rain as his voice fluttered in a wince.

 

“What the hell—”

 

He choked, and Haru slid his palm up to his cheek.

 

“Do you think you’re…”

 

He squeezed his eyes, and Haru cupped his other.

 

“ _Trying_  to  _do_  to me—”

 

His lashes fluttered with dewdrops, and Haru leaned in to share his trembling breath.

 

“ _Haru_ —!”

 

His moan hitched, and Haru captured his lips in a deep, warm kiss.

 

Haru slid his eyes to a blissful close, losing himself in the full texture of Rin’s lips basking in the smell of rain. His lips were parted a touch as sparks flitted across them, bolting whenever Rin’s slick ones left a shaky breath to haunt his dry, dry mouth. He felt Rin’s lithe fingers curling around his wrists, quivering so delicately that Haru brought one down from his damp cheek. He curled his arm around Rin’s slim, trained body, pressing through wet clothes to pull him flush in a stifled gasp. Haru tilted his head, softly mouthing his lips again at another angle to draw a precious shiver from Rin, who only hugged him closer in return.

They held each other fast as the rain gradually died down, embracing and kissing with a soft passion. They gently suckled at each other’s sensitive, plumping lips and separated only to let a subdued sigh pass through, coming to memorise the swell and curve of each other’s mouths with a bubbling addiction. Rin pressed his palms onto Haru’s shoulder blades, clutching the back of his shirt as Haru looped his arms around Rin’s waist in kind.

They parted in a low pop to catch their breaths, slow and steaming across each other’s lips. Haru really studied Rin for what seemed like the first time, spiralling deeper with every glassy-eyed, open-mouthed whisper of his name.

 

Haru flinched when he heard the train bustle away, his focus jerking over to where it was sliding along the tracks.

 

“Rin,” Haru swallowed, his eyes growing alert from their glaze. “Your train—“

 

He tripped when Rin’s arms tightened, gripping Haru in place as he bored straight into his eyes.

 

“If you fuckin’ let go of me,” Rin snarled, his face cherry red. “I will  _dump_  your ass.”

 

When Rin pulled him back for a hard kiss and their noses mashed together, Haru only wrinkled his own in a suppressed chuckle. He brought Rin’s waist close in an intimate pull, angling his head again while they kissed in the rain.

 

* * *

 

_Life is calling_

_But you’ll always find her, waiting_

_For in the end, this really is_

_Our eternal summer_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yO MAN DON'T LOOK AT ME
> 
> LIKE
> 
> ok in the morning i was like _oh why don't we have some train confessing from haru-chan yes yes that'd be cute c:_
> 
> AND THEN. I DECIDE. WELL OBVIOUSLY IT'LL HAVE TO TAKE ME THE WHOLE DAY, AND IT'LL BE IMPERATIVE I ALSO PUBLISH IT TODAY even though it's one of the fics I rEALLY DON'T NEED TO UPDATE SO SOON
> 
> blergh
> 
> basically, this is the result of my shipper brain and typing fingers puking in pretty conjunction (yo even I don't know what's up with the spacing cus my brain was apparently like 'spacing rhymes with pacING thEREFORE—')
> 
> i need to sleep x| 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! :D and that Haru wasn't too terribly OOC to fit with my indulgence ;D;


	8. Staying Behind Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haru is thrown off his rhythm near the end of another joint practice, to the point where he wrenches a muscle in his own sprint and his whole body is on edge.
> 
> Guess who stays behind to help him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by [shinylostcause](http://shinylostcause.tumblr.com)
> 
> Rated G for confusing feelings, massages, and a kiss

“Staying behind again, Matsuoka?”

Seijuurou was only in his jacket and speedos at the pool exit when raised a light brow, but his smile wiped any suspicion his question may have held. Rin faced him front on while still in legskin, poised for a bow as he nodded.

“Yes, Captain. I’ve already signed off on weekend leave and will return on Sunday evening.”

His tone was stiff with decorum, but he didn’t falter when Seijuurou gave him a once-over and smiled heartily.

“Y’know, you’ve really changed since the tournament, especially since you’ve been staying back,” he remarked amiably, clapping a hand to Rin’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you happy.”

Rin blinked as Seijuurou put his hand back to stand akimbo. He was at a loss for a response, so he bowed instead.

“Thank you.”

“Mm,” Seijuurou nodded, before crossing his arms. “But don’t get too buddy-buddy with ‘em, yeah?” he boomed with a rowdy laugh. “You got your own relay team to focus on!”

“Of course.” Rin responded cordially, standing up straight again.

“Onii-chan~” Gou came jogging up, coming up behind Rin. “Rei-kun wants some pointers with his butter—oh, am I…?” she slowed, looking between Seijuurou and Rin before she clammed up. “A-Ah, excuse me! I shouldn’t have interrupted—!”

“ _Ah_ , Gou-kun~!” Seijuurou eyes brightened through a happy flush. “You weren’t interrupting anything, we were just—”

“—Captain was just about to leave.”

“Eh— _ah_ —onii-chan…!” Gou whined, nearly tripping up from Rin dragging her away by the wrist.

“Ah, wait—!” Seijuurou called out in a last beckon. “I wanted to ask if Gou-kun was maybe free tomorrow!”

“She’s Matsuoka-san to you!”

* * *

Haru watched Rin pull Gou away from a slumping Seijuurou out of the corner of his eye, waiting his turn to dive for a quick time trial.

“—Seriously, onii-chan, I can _handle_ him!” Gou pouted, defiantly setting her hands on her hips

“I don’t want you to hang out with that guy!” Rin crossed his arms, making a face. “You’re way too young for guys to hit on you!”

“I told you it’s _fine_ —”

“He wants your number!”

Haru smiled. How protective.

“Well _Haruka-senpai_ has my number too,” she reasoned, puffing her cheeks. “Does that mean he’s going to ask me out?”

“Well, _no_ , but—” Rin clapped a hand to his neck, and Haru swiftly turned away before he caught Rin’s glance. “—No but _Seijuurou_ actually expresses _interest_ in you, and that’s different from that guy…!”

“Should I comment on how you sound like a whiny boyfriend?”

“Cut that out…!” Rin hissed through an embarrassed blush, heatedly looking to see if anyone heard her quip while Haru swallowed. “You don’t just say crap like that!”

“It was just a joke~” she sing-songed, sticking her tongue out.

“Yeah, well, we’re both guys, so…”

Somehow, as Haru went up to the block, he could feel Rin slow into a pause. It was thick and momentary, and it made his fingers tremble as he bent down to pull the edge of the board.

“A- _Anyway_ , just don’t talk to that guy, alright?! Look, I should know, I gotta deal with him nearly all the time and…” he let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in a small flush. “He can be…kinda _trying_ at times, so—”

“Which guy are we talking about?” Gou teased, and Haru felt his chest pump with heat.

“S- _Seijuurou_!” Rin blustered. “It’s like he thinks I’m gonna ditch my relay team for Haru and the others and just—” he pressed his lips together, twisting them when Gou hid a chuckle behind her hand. “S-Stop tryna mess with me already!”

“If you say so~!”

“—Haru?”

Haru blinked, turning to Makoto’s benign smile as he indicated the lap clock six seconds to sixty.

“You can time yourself now.”

“…Thanks.”

Too much chatter.

Haru dived into the water with a smooth plunge, trying to find some solace for the Matsuokas’ confusing conversation.

Not confusing so much as he didn’t understand, but radiating with the feeling like he understood _too_ well. Like he was trying to analyse their sibling banter too much, too unnecessarily to be considered polite.

What Rin hadn’t said was that he was on weekend leave for another sleepover.

He pulled the water too hard, and the viscous tension put him back into place.

The water…

The water felt strange.

No…it never changed. It always kept true to its fluid, encapsulating self.

That must have meant _he_ was off tandem.

But he learned that he could use the water as a means to recollect himself, rather than escape in it, or run away. That was an important lesson he had learned. But to arrive at the root the problem, to navigate to the upset in his heart…that always took work.

The most recent thing that could have disturbed him was Rin’s conversation.

But why though?

Why would Rin notifying a weekend leave and bickering with his sister leave Haru’s chest quaking?

That made no sense.

Haru reached the wall, and tucked in for the flip-turn.

Then maybe it was the mention of Rin’s relay team?

Not that Haru didn’t like them, or didn’t appreciate that Rin went to another school and belonged to another swim squad. In fact, he’d already spent ample time to identify the feeling that arose when he saw Rin laughing with his new teammates as…pride.

He was proud of Rin.

Then Rin had spotted him leaving with Makoto and the others, and proceeded to make a phone with his finger and thumb.

Well Haru felt annoyed when Rin put his hand-phone by his ear in an expectant pout, because he had some homework to do. He couldn’t leave it just to call Rin for their plans the next like last week.

So naturally he shook his head, making a small writing motion with his hand.

And then Rin snorted, pointing at Haru and mirroring his writing motion with a cocked brow.

_You? Homework?_

He laughed behind his hand.

_Please._

Haru made sure to communicate his annoyance in a pointed frown, and Rin just waved him off with a little smirk.

That had all been normal.

But then when he went out to join the others at the Samezuka entrance…

…They were all smiling.

It wasn’t the type of smiling that inspired the joy in his heart that it had become so comfortably familiar with, but it invited a more acute feeling.

They were surreptitious. Hidden. As if there was a lovely secret and Haru was the only one left in the dark. Though he easily pushed it to the back of his mind, because he remembered he had to buy some meat for Rin later.

But now, as he pushed off on the wall and he surfaced from his second (…third?) lap, it slowly returned like a reeling spool of thread, gently feeding into his mind’s eye as he watched the blue water.

Haru had meant to check the clock when he turned, his pants coming soft as he put his goggles up.

Instead his eyes caught Rin rolling his arm with his other hand at his shoulder, going through the exact motions with a fervently nodding Rei in the water.

…Teacher.

Rin was a good teacher. He was familiar with theory, performed well in school, and was thoroughly intimate with most things that Haru wasn’t.

Except for water.

That much couldn’t be disputed in the least. Haru could tell that the water liked Rin.

But in a slightly different way.

Because if they were accepted by the water in the _same_ way…it wouldn’t work.

…It was like a bar magnet.

If two north poles were pressed together, there’d be immediate repulsion. No matter how much of the same stuff they’re made of, how similarly they’re forged, there’s a unshakeable rift.

But then Rin was different.

If Haru was the blue north, then Rin was the red south. No matter how much traction there may be when they rub against each other, in the end they’re brought together by an innate, undeniable attraction.

…Attraction.

Was he attracted to Rin…?

…He’d say so, yes.

Not in sense that he would seek him out in some awe for that attraction, no. In fact, in the beginning, he could recall that perhaps he attracted Rin somehow, what with how he always managed to find him, pester him, and promptly sling an arm over him.

In that sense, that hadn’t really changed.

But Rin was attractive…in the sense of his aura. He had a demanding energy. He knew when he first laid eyes on him and the memory of a redheaded, weeping boy in a sea of faceless people, when he felt this insistent disturbance in the water for the first time and spotted the source of it panting spreadeagled on the tile ground.

When Rin had _talked_ to him, lauding him, and then saw him _again_ in his classroom where he thought he could forget the boy who irked him so much. And then come every next swim meet with him rechristened as ‘Leader’, and he would find out that he ran to school and had apparently said all sorts of silly things to his sister after club was over that he didn’t heed so much at the time.

It led the conclusion that no matter what he tried, it seemed that Rin always got his attention.

So he could say that Rin was attractive.

…But where did that leave him?

He could admit so much while being so close with the water, but what then?

If he supposed Rin was attractive, was he then supposed to do something about it?

Would he have to further address this realisation to see it through? Or was coming to brief terms to his discord enough to synchronise with the water again?

What could he do?

“— _Haru_. You awake? Or alive?”

Haru shivered back into the Iwatobi pool, and he blinked rapidly at Rin calling out to him, slowly waving his hand out from the other end as if he was tentative to startle a docile creature.

Had he been staring?

“Haru…?”

The water sloshed as Haru pivoted around and up, coming to Makoto’s curious pout looking down at him from the blocks.

Makoto nudged to the lap clock.

_I thought you were going to time yourself?_

…That _was_ the plan.

Makoto’s brow gently lifted, his green eyes shifting a touch.

_That swim was a lot shorter than how much you usually do…_

…That was also true.

Makoto tilted his head to the side, his brow narrowing in a soft concern.

_Are you okay?_

Haru’s eyes went downcast, pausing.

In a breath, he felt Rin’s eyes shift onto him from teaching Rei, his red gaze melding into a similar concern.

And he was at the other end of the pool.

Haru opted for a minute shake of his head, and he put on his goggles and pushed on into the water before either Makoto or Rin could say anything.

* * *

Club had been over half an hour ago, but the rest left to get lunch early.

Haru slapped the wall when he tore his head out of the pool, ragged breaths streaming from his open lips.

He sprinted alone.

He didn’t sprint alone.

When Haru tried to pull himself out of the pool, his shoulders buckled with a shooting pain. He winced when his elbows hit the stone ledge, clenching his teeth as he fell back into the pool with a graceless splash.

He hurt himself.

He must have done the last sprint too hard. His pull was more extreme than usual.

The pain gently blossomed over his shoulder blades, and it made him feel clumsy and weak.

He hated feeling weak.

A wave of frustration compelled his body to defy his pain. Even though his arms trembled and the bezel of the stone block imprinted onto his palms, he pulled himself out with a stubborn, hard lip.

What was wrong with him?

Why was he feeling this way?

Eventually he was sitting on the block, staring over to the other end of the pool where Rin had been, his shoulders still throbbing with a heating ache.

…Is this what Rin felt? At the tournament they had first met?

…No, Rin had laid on the floor.

Haru took pause, looking over to the patch of floor a few lanes over.

He walked over so his feet were warmed by the ground gently toasted in the sun’s heat, and his hand pressed on his knee when he sat down. He unfurled his back against the warming, smooth tiles, letting himself sink into it as he lightly stretched out his arms and legs, looking up to the blue expanse of the sky.

…He felt nauseous.

He was still panting, and all the blood threatened to rush to his head from his hard sprint. His shoulders were agitated by the hot floor, and an uncomfortable flush spread over his cheeks in effort.

In a strange, unpleasant way, it was peaceful.

His brow knitted in a washing confusion, and he sat up as promptly as his shoulders would let him.

What was Rin thinking when he did that?

* * *

When Haru was trying to rub the pain out of his shoulders when he got out of the shower, he didn’t expect Rin to be there.

He wasn’t dressed in his black, pink-collared Samezuka uniform. It was the weekend, so Haru wasn’t really surprised that he had on a white tank, a red-and-black chequered shirt on top with a maroon beanie perching off the back of his head, jeans that may have hung a touch more loosely at his hips than usual, and red casual sneakers.

He was more surprised that Rin was actually there, his slender red brows pulled together in a slight frown.

“…What happened to lunch?”

“…I left,” Rin said, shrugging a little, but the small frown didn’t leave his features. He looked to the little compartments where they usually kept their things, eyeing his own bag back against Haru’s brown as he gently chewed his own lip. “…Wasn’t hungry.”

A low growl echoed in the changing room.

“…Really?” Haru asked dryly, and Rin’s pressed lips and building fluster was worth paying to watch unfold.

“W-Well, I didn’t feel like eating…!” he huffed, grumbling over his betraying stomach.

Haru didn’t even think of responding before he watched Rin’s features soften into warm red.

“You seemed kinda…out of it, today,” he reasoned quietly, latching his hand at his nape to rub it tentatively. “…Your stroke was off.”

_You could tell? From that far?_

“…You could have waited for me at my house.”

Rin could. He had a key, after all.

“Do you even listen t’me?” Rin muttered under his breath, before frowning again. “…Just wanted to check up on you, that’s all…”

“…Okay.”

Haru, for some reason, didn’t move. His feet were planted onto the wet linoleum as Rin glanced over him, this time pouting.

“Aren’t you gonna hang your towel around your neck?”

Haru looked down to where Rin nudged, and his towel, grey with white polka-dots, hung limp in his hand.

“…Ah. Yeah.”

He paused, though. He bit his inner lip as he felt Rin scrutinising him, and his shoulders burned when he lifted them up to drape on his towel.

“—Haru,” Rin cut in instantly. “You’re wincing.”

Haru scrunched his features from pain and in disappointment from letting it leak out, as he weakly put his towel over his shoulder.

“…I hurt my shoulders.” Haru looked to his feet, talking under his breath.

He didn’t like admitting his pain.

“…God,” Rin snorted, shaking his head. “I bet you just swum on without feeling it.” he clicked his tongue, his brow still furrowed as he smiled.

Haru clenched his fists like an upset child, expecting Rin to call him ‘idiot’ or ‘stupid’ from his mindless exertion.

Instead, Rin sighed as he sat on a bench, patting the space next to himself.

“C’mere.”

Haru blinked. When he looked at the space Rin was patting like it was alien, he rolled his eyes.

“Don’t make me drag your ass here.”

Haru pulled a face, but he obliged.

He sat down next to Rin, his swimsuit still damp from the shower as he settled on the wood. His upper body didn’t relax or stiffen a single bit, lest he wanted his muscles to scream again.

“Face that way.”

He pointed to where he was looking, and Haru turned so his back faced Rin.

“Right…” Rin muttered, and Haru heard him stretch out his fingers. “This might hurt a bit.”

Wait, what—

“ _Ah_ —!”

Haru threw his neck back, clenching his jaw as the heels of Rin’s palms were like daggers into his shoulder blades. The pain shot throughout his body, and he cracked open his eyes in a hiss as his muscle seized up.

“Yup, this is it.”

Haru was about to bite a response out, but instead winced meekly as Rin started to rub languid circles into the meat of his shoulders. Rin targeted the focal point where the pain rested and sidled around it, like he knew where each alleviating press would make Haru want to sigh in ease.

“…Ha…”

He felt the pad of Rin’s thumbs press at the line between his shoulders at his spine as his fingers cupped near his neck, and his presses were firm and slow to break apart the discomfort so it spread into a tingling, warmer sensation.

“…Mm…”

Haru grunted in a building relief, and Rin kept rocking his shoulders a little with each firm, spreading rub.

“Never thought you needed a massage,” Rin remarked honestly, shuffling closer for a better handle when Haru leaned back in a loosening tension. “Can’t even put up a towel…” he nearly scoffed, still undulating his hands across as Haru rolled his head back, so the end of his black locks teased his working knuckles. “Donno what you were thinking…”

Haru didn’t really either.

“You’re…” Haru’s whisper was thick, and he swallowed it away as Rin massaged a sweet point right near the top of his shoulders. “You’re good at this…”

“Well, I _do_ give mean back rubs,” Rin sniggered, and Haru let out a small chuckle as he felt Rin cup his shoulder with a small push. “Lie down. You’ve probably got other muscles really tense.”

Haru nodded obediently, adjusting himself so his torso laid flat against the wooden bench and his cheek was cool against it. Rin went onto the floor so he was kneeling above Haru’s lying body, rolling his sleeves up to his biceps as he set to work again.

Haru’s brow came together in an alternation between swelling aches and seeping relief as Rin leaned over him and worked across his back. Rin didn’t have any callouses; his hands were soft from pool water and only ever conditioned by holding open the pages of a book.

“…Mn…”

Haru supposed his fingers were slightly thicker than his own when they pressed into the muscles at his back, but he knew they were still quite slender. But they were filled with power, kneading away Haru’s pain and bringing him to let out soft noises when Rin rubbed a good spot.

“Shit, never thought I’d get you to purr.”

Haru would have felt more self-conscious at Rin’s quiet mirth, but he only focused on how Rin really worked out the knots in his lower back, just above his hips as he simply sighed at the bench.

“…Right,” Rin clapped his own lap, before patting Haru’s arm. “Should be better now.”

Haru turned his head so his other cheek pressed against the bench at he was watching the amused glint in Rin’s eye.

“You can sit up now.”

Rin looked at him a little strangely, and Haru suddenly felt the prickle that had rested at his cheeks. Maybe he just never had a good back rub before.

Haru lolled himself up so he was slumped and sitting, looking down at Rin who was still kneeling with one knee up in front of him.

“…Gimme your arm.”

Haru tilted his head when Rin put his hand out, but he felt like the massage had honeyed over his senses. He easily rested his left forearm at Rin’s palm, feeling the contrast between his warm hand and his own cool skin.

“Lemme see if I can work out some knots here…”

Haru held his arm out like he was getting an injection, and he watched in fascination as Rin worked his thumbs into the flesh of his bicep. It was remarkably different than getting a back rub, in the sense that Haru could see what Rin looked like when he was doing it. His brow was low and relaxed, and his lip was in a calm line instead of twisted in a constant smirk or little grimace. But his eyes were red, sharp and unmoving, downcast at each part where his fingers were handling as his beanie pulled back some of his wine hair that would normally cover his smooth complexion.

“Y’know you can even get tension in your fingers?” Rin mentioned, working down his elbow and onto his forearm. “Though it feels like they do jack shit next to your thighs or quads or wherever.”

Haru hummed in a light assent, and a tingling sensation began to birth at his fingertips when Rin’s fingers reached his palm. He thumbed the centre of his hand, pressing and spreading it out so his hand naturally closed up with each press. A pricking warmth started to really spread when Rin focused on his fingers next, making sure to get work each one from his finger webs to the meat below his nail.

But Rin moved on swiftly to his other arm, working from the bicep down like he did with his left. Haru felt incredibly relaxed now, like Rin really did loosen everything with his skilled fingers as he felt them press down so they were at his palm again. He rolled his thumbs across Haru’s palm, rubbing the back in junction as he started to work from his thumb to his pinky. From the base of the finger webs up to the tips where that incessant buzzing rested.

This time, he didn’t let go.

Rin’s fingers relaxed, but lingered where Haru’s were curled ever so slightly. In the pause of his movement, Haru could swear he could feel the minute ridges of his prints, hiding in the softness of his fingertips.

Rin looked up so he was facing Haru, and a few of his pointed teeth showed in a slight, expectant grin.

“Feel better?”

Haru’s back was still slumped as he slothfully examined Rin’s thin, tilted brow, his eyes holding a tiny shine of the overhead lamp and his own blue hues. He blinked when he saw his lips gently curled in a genuine, somehow still mischievous smile.

…Weren’t they both guys?

“Haru~” Rin sing-songed, leaning in to peer up at him. “You with me here?”

Rin still had that little smile when he asked. But when Haru’s lips parted a breath, and he swallowed once, slowly, before nodding, it looked like Rin’s expression seeped into pink.

“A-Alright, cool…”

Even though Rin jerked his gaze to the side, Haru noticed he still didn’t let go of his hand.

“…Rin.”

Haru tugged it once.

“…So he speaks,” Rin laughed weakly, clearing his throat to put some substance back into his voice before he tilted his head up again. “What’s up?”

Haru fell into another, pregnant pause, his gaze careful on Rin’s twinkling eyes and his supple lips thin with a little smile.

“Seriously,” Rin’s shoulders sunk in a little huff, and his lip pushed out in tiny pout. “Am I losin’ you again?” he raised an incredulous brow, but the tiny curl at the corner of his mouth said otherwise.

Haru’s eyes never pulled away when a sudden break fell upon Rin’s smooth features. His eyes were round and crimson when Haru started to properly, slowly hold Rin’s hand. He gently began to lace their slender fingers together, sliding their warm skin with a delicacy that made Rin’s lips part for millimetres.

“Haru…?”

Rin’s voice was like feather, downy and tentative, tickling his ear in its small breath. Haru’s back crouched a little further, and his other hand rose up to brush the little locks that always fell in front of Rin’s forehead, a little over his bright, searching eyes.

His hand travelled farther to weave into his hair, just shy of his tilting beanie. He felt Rin's gasp vibrate through to his trembling fingers when he held onto Rin’s hand a little firmer, and he could see it in the swell of pink flooding his features as his eyelids started to slide shut in a daze. The last thing he could see was Rin’s pliant lips, fluttering in a gulp that he could only hear because he was so close. Their sweet pinkness dimmed through Haru’s lashes as he closed his eyes, and gently angled Rin’s head up as he felt his hand squeeze in Rin’s warm, almost needy clutch.

“H- _Haru_ ….mn…”

_You’re attractive to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the absolutely lovely and wonderful [shinylostcause](http://shinylostcause.tumblr.com) who prompted this chapter and is actually the one of the sweetest people alive and my precious waifu vuv Her prompt was absolutely adorable and was fantastic to write ^^ plus _I actually did a prompt_ and it's not like I take them anymore but yEAH ACCOMPLISHMENT!11! 8D
> 
> I did this in a night again, seeing as that's my new habitat for writing fics :') I did edit this one more carefully, but knowing me I _probably_ missed some things and ask for your leniency on any shoddy edits like always orz
> 
> Though I recognise the fandom's in a sort of lull before Free! Eternal Summer(!!!!!), we need more baselessly fluffy feelsy fics for these two stat x) I hope this can be remedied when we come back full swing for season 2 :DD
> 
> EDIT: After an ask, writing a kiss scene, and consideration that didn't take very long at all, there's a kiss scene now! :D I went over it with shinylostcause first, and we both like the kiss ending better x))


	9. Not Interested

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snippet while Rin is at Haru's place (Rated G)

“So,” Rin settled across the kotatsu. Haru’s hair curtained his peace as he grazed the pencil across his paper. “You’re not interested in getting married?”

Haru shook his head, sufficing. He set aside his sketchbook, looking up to Rin staring.

“— _Ah_ , well, I get that.” Rin babbled as he looked away, throwing a hand up to rub his nape. His tiny scoff drew Haru’s curiosity.

“You do?”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, his ponytail going out of sight when Rin faced him. Yet he kept his eye away when he scratched his cheek. “I gotta train everyday to achieve my dream. Not really any time for those sorta things…” he trailed off, before regaining his volume with a flippant shrug. “Or any interest,” he added, throwing up a hand. “So—”

“In marrying?”

It was almost redundant, before Rin took pause. It only attracted more of Haru’s attention, to the way his eyes darted even more to the side. The way he clutched his nape again. Chewed his bottom lip the slightest, making it plump.

“Well, that and—” he stopped again, swallowing. “Girls…” he slowly rubbed his neck, a breath leaving in a shaky sigh. “…I s’pose…”

Haru showed nothing at a glance. In reality, his eyes went just a little rounder. A little shinier.

“…Does,” he cut through the silence. “That mean that you’re—”

“—Yeah,” Rin jerked his chin in a nod. His shoulders rumbled mirthlessly. “Yeah, I’m…”

His mouth formed the sound that died on his lips. When he pressed them together and only nodded again, a swell rose in Haru’s throat that made him nod in return.

“…Okay.”

The table fan whirred more noticeably, the little tapes fluttering in its wind.

“…I’m not interested either,” Haru said, an unusual confidence calming his heart. “In girls.”

Rin’s hand already sunk from his jaw when Haru had spoken, It clapped shut when Haru’s gaze flickered over him, shy and blue. When the arch of his ear adorned a rosy twinge, that he tried to hide with his tiny pout.

“Y-Yeah?” Rin cleared his throat, blinking in a tinting hope.

Haru looked down to his own arm, already resting on the tabletop. His throat felt like a desert when he shifted it a little closer; a little more towards Rin’s.

His nod was slow. “…Yeah.”

Rin’s breath hitched.

Haru found himself glancing at Rin’s hand, the thin bracelets that rested at his slim wrist.

“…Uh,” Rin faltered. Haru’s gaze moved up to his cheeks hinting a sweet red. “M-Maybe, we could… _uh_ …” he gulped visibly, his eyes shimmering with distress. His bracelets clattered when he moved his arm, so a tentative inch was between his and Haru’s fingers. “Be…not married. And not interested in girls,” he clarified brokenly. A new pressure clamped on his heart when Rin’s eyes were beautifully anxious, burning with a stubborn confidence as their fingertips sparked static. “T…Together.”

Haru wondered if his fingers could fall off with Rin’s flushed grin.

“…Yeah,” Haru murmured, a warm smile blooming when he slid his hand forward. When he slotted their fingers together a little jerkily, yet wonderfully. When he felt Rin choke up in the twitch of his hand, and when he stayed him with his own, gentle hold. “That’d be nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To get the 'writer mojo' flowing and also because it just came out :) They end up together, so it goes in this fic
> 
> Unedited, but I hope this little drabble's nice all the same ;D;


	10. Pretz Game II (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A celebration for Pocky day in multiple parts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaand still a day late for pocky day anyway :'D

# Pretz Game (Part 1)

“Pocky…day?”

“That’s right!” Nagisa nodded excitedly, bouncing in his step while Rin walked alongside, more interested in the pavement or seaside than in his or Nagisa’s conversation. “November 11th!”

“Oh,” Haru murmured. He didn’t really remember, nor did he know its purpose. “Is that why you have more Pocky than usual?”

“Yuh-huh!” Nagisa giggled at the question, and shook his two boxes of strawberry Pocky like maracas of glee. “They were even on sale today!”

“Oi, Nagisa…” Rin sighed through the eternal struggle of walking to Haru’s place—or walking _anywhere_ with Nagisa in tow. “Y’don’t needa shove ’em in Haru’s face like that.”

“Ah, but Rin-chan bought some too, right?” Nagisa spun around, his triumph muffled by a mass of pink Pocky now lodged in his mouth. “Sho, dat meansh— _nyom, mm_ —you cahn’t shcold me.”

Rin’s nose scrunched in mild repulsion. “Either talk or eat. Don’t do both.”

“Thas naht de point,”—more chewing—“ _hippuhcrit Reen-chahn!_ ”

“ _Jesus_ —!” he nearly yelled, leaping away from the spray of crumbs. “Fuckin’ hell, Nagisa, my _dog_ eats cleaner than—!!”

“Rin.” Haru spoke up.

“Huh?” he turned to attention, features relaxing from sheer disgust. “What is it?”

“You bought Pocky?”

“Oh. Uh…” Rin raised a brow, then ducked his head before lightly scratching the back of his hair. “Not really,” he explained, pouting while letting a red box from his duffel peek out. “Just got some Pretz, is all.”

“Only ’cause you don’t like sweet things,” Nagisa supplied, having swallowed his mouthful and digging in his boxes for some more. “You buying it is just as good as taking part in Pocky day, _especially_ since you’re hanging out at Haru-chan’s, later!”

Spotting Rin’s aborted choke on spit, Haru felt his brow furrow. “What does that mean?”

“NOTHING! Forget you heard anything!” Rin immediately blustered, cheeks filling with a painfully bright red. “Nagisa, quit bein’ an idiot, _shit_ —!”

“’M nauht n’idiot,” he countered easily, a cheeky, eye-thinning grin appearing through his peaceful chewing. “Becosh I know igshactly why Reen-chahn bawt dose.”

“You’re eating too much Pocky,” Haru informed. “I can’t understand you—”

“ _Y’don’t have to!_ ” Rin barked, almost snarling as he shoved in hands into his pockets and stomped in front of them. “ _Chirst_ —how come can’t I catch a fuckin’ _break_ ’round here…?!”

“Aww, Rin-chan’s in denial,” Nagisa puffed his cheeks in disappointment, his sigh filled with melodrama as he drew out another Pocky or three.

“He looks,” Haru paused to take in Rin’s hunched stalk. “…Nervous.”

“Ah!” Nagisa whirled his head around, pink eyes opening with his strawberry-chocolate stained mouth. “You think so?”

“I think so.”

Nagisa gasped. “That’s no good! _Rin-chan!_ ” he called ahead, waving when Rin looked back sulking. “Don’t worry if you’re nervous—I’m gonna go to Rei-chan’s and play with him, too!”

“WHA—?!”

“Well, try to, but anyway—I’m gonna get Rei-chan to play the Pocky game with me, so I know how you feel, Rin-chan!” Nagisa punched the air with infectious determination. “Even though I won’t be there, I’ll be supporting you! Do your best!”

“ _HAHH_ …?!”

Rin’s hair looked nothing less like a full-scale explosion, and his voice seemed to only grow higher in pitch over time. On the other hand, Haru just became more confused.

“Play?”

“Oh, don’t you know, Haru-chan? The Pocky game?” he looked to where Haru was walking. Even with those curious pink eyes, blinking innocently, he couldn’t recall anything that struck a chord.

“…No.”

“Oh, I see,” he nodded with a solemn hum, before his features brightened into reassurance. “Don’t worry though, Rin-chan will go over the Pocky game with you in a _lot_ of detail! But, then again—if he only has Pretz, would it be the Pretz game…?”

Haru dimly realised a set of angry, loud footsteps approaching.

“ _God_ —enough o’that! I needa take a fuckin shower!” Rin burst in, clapping a hold of Haru’s wrist and dragging him away from whatever Nagisa’s explanation was going to be. “C’mere—Christ, it’s already _sunset_ and I feel like hell—!”

“I need to head to the train station now, anyway,” Nagisa said, waving and winking before pivoting towards the sun-orange pavement to the right. “Have fun, you two!”

“Wait, Nagi—”

“ _—See ya tomorrow, Nagisa…!!_ ” Rin announced through gritted, sharp teeth. Haru silently huffed at the realisation that, by the tight grip on his wrist, there wouldn’t be any reasoning or escape.

When Nagisa clearly went out of eyeshot, though, it left Haru to wonder why he was still being towed to his own house.

* * *

“Why did you drag me to my house?” Haru finally asked.

He looked up to where Rin was sliding the bedroom door behind him. He looked at peace, having just pulled his towel down on broad shoulders from flat, water-dyed hair. He was even about to scratch his bare stomach, before his eyes opened with a light hum to Haru’s question.

“Wha’dja say?” he prompted, pushing up the towel to rub his ears again. “Didn’t hear.”

“…No,” Haru decided. “It’s nothing.”

He turned away from Rin’s arched brow, indicating that the subject was clearly dropped—even though it had never been brought up. However, what was more interesting is that how he sensed Rin’s momentary squirm. Like he was crawling in his own skin for a split-second, before Haru turned to him looking away.

“…You gonna lend me a shirt?”

Before anything could be said, Haru noted how soft the question was. How Rin’s hand was tucked between bicep and bare chest, creating an oddly vulnerable, heartwarming image, even though he was a muscled, young adult with sweatpants riding carelessly low on shaven, pale hips.

Before he can retort that, from all their sleepovers, Rin should know exactly where the shirts are, Haru picks himself up to get it anyway.

* * *

“Will you tell me about the Pretz game?”

Rin nearly choked on his steak. “Wha— _what_?”

Haru huffed, picking off another piece of his own mackerel. “You heard me.”

“Well, _yeah_ , but—” his words tangled together, stringing a web of incoherency as his mouth hung open. “Shit, why the hell do you wanna know about the Pocky game?”

“You don’t have Pocky.”

“It’s _supposed_ to be Pocky.”

“But you have Pretz.”

“ _That doesn’t mean the game’s—_ ” Rin stopped mid-sentence, putting himself back where he wasn’t leaning forward so intently, and pinched his flushed nose. He sighed like his breath was heavy.

Haru studied how the sharpness of his bottom teeth were noticeable in such a sigh, but equally realised how it wasn’t threatening in the least behind open, soft lips.

_Wait._

“Fuck it. Nothing t’do about it,” Rin threw a hand up, and let it land onto the kotatsu to rattle the metalware. “I’ll tell you what the Pretz game’s about before we sleep; like some shitty bedtime story,” he relented, huffing through a light smile.

Haru only blinked.

Hearing silence overtaken by the whirring table fan, Rin tilted his gaze up, before his lips etched into a deeper frown. “…Nothin’, huh? Well, whatever,” he shrugged, carving the last chunks of meat off the bone before collecting his utensils on his stained plate. “I’ll clean up and brush my teeth. You go take your bath if you want,” he allowed, before standing to head to the kitchen.

Haru stared at the shirt on Rin’s back, before looking down at his own empty plate.

_…Soft?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder that rin and haru aren't together in this yet, no matter how much they kissed in my _other_ pretz fic--basically this is a different 'verse; more during free! than free! es
> 
> i debated on whether to post this as a separate fic, but considering that they're gonna end up together through the pocky game--spoiler alert but not really cus this is a gay fic there's really no other way it'll end up--i decided to plop this in this fic instead :)
> 
> hope it was an alright prelude for what's to come! o/


End file.
